Past life
by SuiJi
Summary: James hunting Bella was never a coincidence; it had been in the making for over 300 years. The events that led to her and Alice's huntings, the turning of Victoria and James becoming evil, were all set in motion in France in 1654. Nothing is a coincidence
1. preview

Red. Everything was red: red eyes dancing in broken mirrors, red blood singing like a siren, pooled on the floor, and the flushed red face of his prey. Everything was red except the brown of her eyes and as James gazed down on the injured Bella Swan memories of a similar scene clawed their way to the surface. The memory gripped him as it threatened to pull him away from the battered ballet studio back to the riot worn streets of seventeenth century France, only to be disillusioned by Bella's pitiful moan and half whispered call for her lover. He would finish her quickly, the hunt was over and Victoria was waiting for him, no doubt pleased at the death of another vampire's human mate.

Yet another pitiful human girl to fall in love with a vampire, she would become the latest of many. They all fell within the same pattern, young girls who became involved with vampires whether by choice or seductions; all temptresses beguiling immortal fools with their blood and mortal wiles. One by one they had become notches on his ever growing record, success after success except for the one flaw of the asylum girl. Bella Swans' death would almost be vindication for that one blemish, though Mary Alice was now immortal, the human she protected could die in her place. A fitting way to correct the biggest mistake he had ever made, with the most important kill.

Perhaps that was why the face of his first ever victim haunted him as he gazed at his latest one. They were similar, but no more so than all the others. Dark hair, fair skin, and most of all the dark eyes – though his newest quarry lacked the hazel of the original.

"Edward..." Bella whispered.

"James..." the phantom whispered. A snarl ripped from his throat as he bent forward in preparation of reliving his first kill and silencing the phantom once again. Giving into the call of the blood, he launched forward and seemed as he did so, to step through time with the memory.

France 1654

The days of summer were coming to an end and would drift into the fall soon. The winds already carried the cold with them, from the north where the trees had started to change. And outside of a small village in Northern France, hidden from passersby on the road and out of view from the pressing eyes of Mme Degaulle's cottage, a girl lounged by the river. A shawl lay discarded beside her as she soaked up as much sun and heat as was left in the season, but the winds of change where blowing and she would not remain so peaceful for long.

Katharine rolled over onto her stomach and rested her head on her bare arms as she toyed with the idea of rousing herself and going back to the mundane reality of her everyday life. The warm evening and the sweet smell of the long grass she laid on seemed a good enough reason to stay put, even if it would anger her Father. This was her favourite place on earth, the _only_ place she could disappear to without the pressures of everyday life. No chores, no tedious little things and best of all no Claude. It was as if time in the clearing never passed, everything seemed to be at a standstill and the place had an almost magical feel to it. The clearing was as it had always been, the river was at the foot of the slight slope that came down from the old road behind a thicket of trees; it was only ever really sunny by the river. There the grass grew thick and tall and it was here that Katharine spent most of her time. Across the river the remains of an ancient wall, built centuries ago still stood. Even though the old brick was crumbling and ivy grew on it now and it had faded into the scenery, no longer the old proud monument it had been in the past; it still had a majesty to it that only added to the effect of the secluded paradise.

A gentle breeze ruffled Katharine's long dark hair and she glanced up to watch it twirl in the wind and sunlight. It was not often that a young maiden's hair was left uncovered and she found a wilful contentment in the rebellious and freeing act. With the warm air and gentle bubble of the creak she soon drifted off to a peaceful sleep, filled with sweet dreams and hopes.

3 miles away…

Screams of terror erupted as people ran for their lives. A small boy tripped and fell, banging his head on the gravel road; as a dark shadow was cast over him, by the even more sinister creature that now loomed above him. It's human like figure bent over in a catlike crouch, with its black eyes ablaze with hunger and thirst. The boy froze petrified with fear as the creature's lip curled back over it teeth, exposing a set of pearly white, razor sharp teeth. In the background a small women thrashed and screamed wildly as she struggled against her husband's grip, desperately trying to get to her son. The creature's black eyes darted between the young mother and the boy in front of him before he disappeared in a rush of air. The boy's mother tore free from her husband's iron grip and rushed to her child. Crying, she embraced her only son as her husband staggered towards them in a daze. His eyes wide and his head light as he gazed at the family he thought he would lose only seconds before. The little family reunited once more, were completely oblivious to the chaos that ensued around them, content only to live in their moment of relief and gratitude. Around them, people fled in hoards and more screams erupted as a lamp someone had carried smashed and set fire to a nearby house. The wood of the country cottage quickly turning to charcoal as the home was soon engulfed in flames that licked and jumped to the dry grass around it. Before long the village was a blaze and in the commotion no one notice the body of a frail old man –who's heart had given out- being snatched away by cold white hands. With that the vampire escaped into the night, the fire from the town out of sight in mere seconds, his meal for another day already drained as he unwittingly sprinted towards a fateful encounter.


	2. Chapter 1: Vampire

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Twilight and all its characters are owned by Stephanie Meyer, but Katharine and others where my idea ;).

Katharine really didn't know what it was that woke her, but when the final veil of sleep and haze was whisked away from her. Her senses and gradually she became aware of how cold she was, with her arms tucked under her and her legs pulled up to her body she was shivering against the twilight air. A flood of regret for wearing her summer dress hit quickly as she gaped about for her shawl. Which was rather pointless since the shawl had been blown away, by the very same sweet wind that had lulled her to sleep just hours ago. She smirked a little at her own stupidity, whether she wore a summer dress or not it would do nothing to resurrect the dying season, or the memories that had disappeared with it. She looked up and gazed about her surroundings, the clearing had lost its sense of wonderment and the dwindling light brought on a sense of panic. Everything was shrouded in shadows and gloom, even the ache of the branches as they swayed in the wind felt as if it was better suited for a desolate forest in some war torn country rather than her own sweet clearing. She shivered and goose-bumps appeared on her forearms, if she stayed much longer she was likely to get scared. Scared? Scared of the clearing what an odd thought that was. The thought seemed so odd; this place had always been her comfort, her retreat and her sanctuary. No one in the world could bother her here and the very idea of it being turned into a place that would scare her and cause her grief was more terrifying than anything else that she could possibly image.

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Mme Degaulle briskly crossed the room for the third time, peaking through the window then letting the curtain fall back into place. Angrily she sat back down on the hard wooden chair by the fire place. Her feet started tapping in her impatience and she peered down at them, she then noticed the ash that now covered them. She pulled up her lip in disgust at the mess. She would speak to Marie about that later. It was high time that that frivolous girl did her job properly rather than flirting with every young man that came within a mile of her. "I swear all she ever does is flirt and talk endlessly, in all my life I have never meet such an annoying little thing that refuses to be quiet. She is probably the most insolent girl that there ever was." She grumbled. It was a miracle that she hadn't fired her yet. But she was a Bandeau and no one in the village would ever deny a Bandeau anything.

It was a well known fact that the Dagulles hated the Bandeaus for being the most prominent and well known family in town. The Dagulles where famous for being of a stuck up nature, and anyone who had the misfortune of encountering anyone of them would agree. The consensus was that the late widow Mme Adalie Dagulle was by far the worst of the clan. To say that she was the busy body of town would be an understatement. If she did not know every single solitary thing that happened in your life it would be a miracle. That was the reason why she now sat in her front room, peering through the window every other second. It was distressing her no end and she would not have peace of mind until she knew what that Katharine Louis was up to. She had seen her walk -in a dream like sate- by the cottage four hours ago and the girl had yet to reappear! It was positively eating her up inside and she had to find out what Katharine was up to and for her to be out at this hour alone was utterly scandalous. This was just what she needed to produce some shame for the family's name and bring down her puritan father a notch.

So once again Mme. Dagulle crossed the short distance between her spot by the fire place and the covered window that overlooked the road in front, her beady black eyes open so wide that they seemed to pop right of her face. Nothing could miss the look of those eyes and they in turn saw everything and anything. The whole look of her face could cause children nightmares for she was a terrifying looking women of short height, with a horrible disputation. Her blonde hair was pulled taught in a high bun which pulled at the skin of her forehead, raising her eyebrows so that it appeared that she had arched them. Her face was screwed up in anger which twisted her small pursed lips more the usual and pulled them up at the corner where they twitched every few seconds in anger. Her pointed chin and stout neck where craned up so as she could see more. With her face and disputation it was not surprising that her late husband had died, everyone knew that it was due of to the torment he had received from her that he had died so easily though she vividly disagreed and argued that he had simply passed now due to a heart attack. That may very well have been the cause but what triggered the heart attack was no doubt her.

But the cause for her eyes to be such was not because of the reappearance of the girl but instead the sight of soldiers quickly heading along the road to the next town. It was a whole brigade of them! All of them with a look of fear or bewilderment on their faces, every single one of them was almost in a run and they all had the appearance of being hurriedly called together. Adalie Dagulle ran as fast as her stout leg would carry her to the front door and struggled to open the heavy thing. She hastily walked up the front path, not even bothering to mind her skirts as they gathered up dust and dirt. Her eyes where ablaze with curiosity and excitement while she tried in vain to hale down one of the young men who rushed by. Each time they passed her by without a glance and she became desperate as the last few came up to her cottage. She had to find out what was happening she just had to. "ARRÊT!" She bellowed her face turning red and her eyes blazing the same color as she panted and struggled to regain her breath. A small soldier at the back turned around at her call and paused. His shaggy brown hair evidently hadn't been washed for a while, because it was covered in sweet and oil. His face still held some childish plumpness to it since his cheek bones where not very prominent yet and overall he looked very sweet. The boy was pleasant looking though he seemed too slight to be in the army and perhaps too young. But his face had the look of fear plastered all over it and his slight frame which was bent over to carry all of his equipment was shaking. His brown eyes looked terrified as he glanced at Mme Dagulle's astonished face. "Why what is the problem?" She gasped.

"Vampire attack!" he breathed before turning and running after his comrades and possibly to his death.

Mme stood there frozen for a minute too scared to even comprehend what had happened. Then an abrupt howl of the wind sent her racing back into her cottage. Where she immediately bolted the door and sank down to her knees and shook with fear. "A vampire, a vampire near here!" the thought sent a new wave of fear through her body. Every creak of the house now terrified her and she saw pairs of blood red eyes everywhere she turned. She quickly got up but fell immediately back down on her knees. Pushing herself off again, she rushed over to fasten all the windows and draw all the curtains with trembling fingers. Then she sank into her bed shivering with fear and hide under the covers as a child might from a nightmare.

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Katharine walked along the road quickly. It had gotten cold very, very quickly with the sun setting and she felt as though all the warmth in her skin and in the air was leaving with it. Cursing at the fact she had had to make a detour to ensure that she wouldn't be caught by that pesky Mme Dagulle, walking home alone at night, with neither shall or cap. Another gust of wind hit her and she shivered violently. Was this really better then Mme Dagulle spreading rumours and embarrassing her and her family's name? Sighing she remembered the last girl that Mme Dagulle had spread scandalous rumours about. Even though it was a well known fact she was an old, cold hearted gossip people still bought into her tales and feed them until they grew so big, it was impossible to control them. The last girl who had crossed paths with her had had her life destroyed. Her Fiancé had cancelled their engagement destroying the girl's reputation for good. She then left the village for good, never to be heard from again.

Katharine shivered but not from the cold and continued to walk up the path towards the road. This was definitely better then Mme Dagulle. Even if she had no engagement to ruin by rubbing the old witch the wrong way. She sighed again; she would have an engagement soon if her father had his way. She would be engaged to Claude Noel. Grimacing at the thought she couldn't help but think that she would find a way to become subject of one of Mme Dagulle's rumours if that ever became a reality. It was not that Claude was a bad person, it was just to put it simply Claude.

He just lacked imagination and was rather boring and simple. A lot of knowledge had been crammed into him over the past 17 years yet he had no clue about what half of it meant, he could not think for himself and just said what other people had taught him. The idea of a life with a man like that was repulsive. She knew why her father wanted her to be with him, the reason was very simple. Claude would one day inherit his father's trade business and become a merchant himself. She would have a secure life with a good man and that was the very reason that Monsieur Louis had chosen Claude for his only eligible daughter. But Katharine did not love him and could never be happy being married to him. Though telling her father she could not was completely out of the question.

The thicket of trees she was walking toward gave way to the road up ahead and she let out a sigh of relief, for the forest around the path she had taken caused it to be darker and she welcomed the little light that was left in the sky that she could now see clearly. After two or so minuets of walking she felt something streak by her, pushing the air back and creating wind. Whatever it was it was gone before she could even see it and an ominous feeling toke hold of her. She spun around but nothing was behind her. It had felt like something had touched her almost and there was a lingering sweet scent around her. She breathed in heavily letting the fragrance fill her lunges. Shaking her head she turned and continued on home. "I must have imagined it." She muttered softly. "But… that smell. It could have been anything though, maybe even some flowers I walked by. But it didn't smell like flowers, it didn't smell like anything she had ever known before. There's something going on here…" As sweet as that scent might be and as much as she loved to fill her lunges with its aroma, there was something about it that almost scared her. Like there was danger about it and whatever had produced it.

Suddenly the clatter of people running was heard and as a group of soldiers came up from behind. "Move out of the way!" someone shouted and shoved Katharine of the road. She fell back onto the ground, bracing her arms against the fall. She felt a sharp pain as she cut her leg on the gravel. Grunting she pushed herself up and examined the damage to her arms and legs, a couple bruises and some scrapes. She glanced up and noticed a group of men leering down at her. She could smell the alcohol on their breath and see their unshaved chins. All had a dishevelled appearance, their faces dirty, stains of wine and food incrusted on their uniforms and they where unshaved. One of them yanked her up by her elbow and held onto her.

"You're a pretty little thing aren't ya?" He chuckled. The others joined in with his laughter. Katharine cringed, she hated solders they were always a cause for trouble in the pubs in town. Her face screwed up in anger as she stomped her foot on the burly one who held onto her. He let go of her and howled in pain. The other laughed at him and pulled him along to catch up with the rest of their group. Angrily she continued, home nursing her wounds. She would be even later because of them.

Down The Road…

The dark streets of the town had hidden dangers that night as a young man concealed in a thick cloak walked silently down an alley. The moon, high in the sky produced little light by its faint glow and all the doors and windows where shut tight against the cold and the boy who now walked by them. Word of the vampire attack had spread quickly from town to town. He could not help but laugh at their feeble attempt to keep him out, as if a couple bolts of lead and planks of wood could keep him out. If he wanted to he could crush them with one twitch of his finger. There really wasn't any need to bother, he had already eaten anyways. What those simple minded people really needed to do was be more cautious when there had not been a vampire attack in a while but of course they never had the sense to do that. No they would think that everything was fine after a few days of quiet and they would come out, throwing caution to the wind thinking that the vampire had moved on to the next town. The vicious cycle of predator and prey was sickening but it was also the only way for him to live.

The young man could see the frost forming on the cobble stones of the road and the panes of glass he walked by, it had turned into a bitterly cold night. This time of year always seemed to be like that, as it had been for the past 85 years that he had been alive for. Eighty-five years, had it really been that long? It had seemed endless at first but slowly it had blended together in a never ending cycle of day and night, endless conciseness and meal after endless meal. It would continue on like that for eternity, until death or on till the world came to an end he would walk down dark alley after dark alley, his life being lead by instinct, driven for blood with no purpose but to survive.

He threw back his hood there was no reason to hide tonight no one was out to see his blood red eyes and if anyone got close enough he would be able to smell them and escape without causing a scene. It was not that he was afraid to deal with a bunch of humans just he really was not in the mood to kill so many people in one day, plus he needed to be able to stay in the area for a while. He was planning to head home just to see what had happened. It probably was a stupid dream, cashing after something that he could never have again, something that was lost to him for all eternity. Still he needed to know what had happened to them, though they were probably dead now, or decrepit and old. Decrepit and old…. His thoughts flew back to the old man he had killed that afternoon. They could be like him now, while he would be the same as that day forever.

The wind howled loudly and brought the scent of blood to his nose. Even though he was full and would not need to eat for days, his mouth watered. It was a girl, a young girl and she smelled so sweet like cinnamon and lavender, dogwood and the scent of over ripe apples. He froze and waited, she was coming his way; his eyes darted to the corner of the road. He could hear the sound of her running foot faults beating in his ears, the short breaths and panting and then… she was there.

The girl was tall but she was small compared to him. She had a slim frame and a nice figure. Shoulder length dark brown hair softy framed her oval face as it swayed in the wind. Her molten brown eyes where adverted to him and her mouth hung open in a gasp. Her eyes where what caused him to stare, they where an odd shade of brown with blue and gold specks at the bottom - with normal sight you probably would not be able to tell. The specks gave the bottom of her a greenish greyish look, combined it gave her eyes an almost liquid appearance since the color changed slightly now and then. The shape of her eyes where angled and framed by long black lashes. Her cheeks where flushed from running and her lips where red. There was nothing spectacular about any of her features other than her eyes but everything fit in harmony together. Her neck was long and elegant; to him that moment that girl was the most stunning creature he had ever seen. She breathed in and out heavily, sending wave after wave of her breath's scent towards him. It was intoxicating and he breathed it in heavily, it calmed him somehow. She was shivering, in a thin white dress and there was dried blood on her right leg – that surprisingly did not open the seething flame in his throat - she looked so helpless, that he wanted to protect her.

The girl stepped forward with a hand out stretched towards him and opened her mouth to say something. He stayed there spellbound by this odd girl. "Please…" she started, letting the sentence hang as she tried to think of what to say. Another gust of wind tossed her hair about and she shivered violently, she was poorly underdressed in this weather and he took a step towards her, their eyes never deviating from each other the whole time when suddenly the call of a human tore his attention away from her. He hadn't even noticed the group of them coming towards them, all his senses had been so focused on the girl that he had not even noticed the mass hoard of humans nearing them.

It was a group of them, a mob of men carrying any matter of weapon they could get their hands on. All shaking with fear at the sight of him, with pale faces and white lips they all looked more ghastly then the vampire in front of them. He took in their faces and the harmless weapons they held, an assortment of pitchforks, swords and one or two pistols. This was absolutely no problem what so ever, it would be over before they could even blink. Just one deadly second and it would all be over. "Easy as one, two, and three... " He laughed. Then saw a man in front step back in fear, shaking his head and his legs quivering.

"I don't want to die!" He chocked. The pitch fork he was holding dropped to the ground clattering loudly. The others around him tensed more, unsure of what to do. The man turned and started desperately pushing his way through the mob, not caring about anyone who got in his way, his own life was at stake and all other thoughts were driven from his mind. The vampire could hear the clatter of his shoes as he pushed through and broke into a run. The crowd was shocked at the lost of one of their own cowardice men and many looked as though they were about to do the same.

Smirking, the young man leaned forward into a crouch, when he smelt other humans coming. Two of them, it wouldn't make a difference. The clatter of their feet grew louder and he could hear their heavy breathing before they turned the corner. A youth and a priest, both quickly advanced to the front of the now disorganized crowd. The youth's wild blue eyes locked onto his before flickering towards the girl a mere foot away from him. Wild fear and surprise became pronounced on his face, before he leapt out to stand protectively in front of her. He shock with anger and his eyes where ablaze, this man; he wanted to kill the young man in front of him with every fibber of his body.

**AN: Hello! I'm sorry it's been so long but I had a lot of work and this is my first year with Exams so yeah I've been studying a lot of the time… but I did slack off a bit in my major which really brought down my average. I ended up with a pitiful 81.5 guess I'll need to work harder next time.**


	3. Chapter 2: Interest

**Forgive me, I know it's late. Now don't mind me read on. Oh yeah, I don't own twilight etc, etc and so on. **

The air swept around Katharine – tossing her hair around her face - with the young man's disappearance. The same sweet scent that she had smelt by the road hit her in waves, causing a curl of nausea to form in the pit of her stomach. The sheer panic she felt paralyzed her and everything around her seem to blur as she hyperventilated. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, as she tried to calm down. But every time she caught even a hint of his scent it only got worse. Suddenly she felt the strong grip of a man's hand on her arm, and she swallowed back the scream in her throat as she realized that it was only Claude.

Claude Noel was a handsome young man, a bit gangly on account of his often being sick as a child, but handsome none the less. His flaxen curls and pale blue eyes had been the cause of many a young girl swooning over him; however upon closer inspection one could see – as Katharine had found – his eyes held no intelligence, and he often wore a very blank expression on his face. Despite this he would have been a very pleasant partner for Katharine, had he not one major flaw, which was his nature to constantly act like a parrot; whenever he spoke to someone he would always change his opinion on something to coincide with whomever he talked to. The one thing he was sure of was how pleasant his face was. However vain or not, it did not matter to Katharine at that moment. She was just happy to have something familiar touching her, in fact she would have settled for Mme Dagulle.

"Are you alright Katharine?" He asked, his voice shaky. Katharine did not reply. Worried Claude gave her a little shake.

Blankly she replied "I'm fine," In a brisk manner. Claude stared down at the determined figure he held on to, her face set in stone and her body shaking slightly. Yet there was no sign of fear, only anger.

The feelings of rage were short lived however and Katharine in a calming breath came to the realization that Claude was holding her tightly under his arm, and the fact that his arm was wound around her waist became increasingly uncomfortable. Irritation and embarrassment heated her face as she attempted to slip out of his hold. However Claude did not let go of her, he only continued to look her over with great interest, taking special note of the condition in which she was dressed: barely clothed arms, her hair loose and framing her face and shoulders - defying the puritan customs; enjoying how her slight figure felt against his in his embrace. Chagrin over took Katharine as she brought her foot down as hard as she could on Claude's, forcing him to let go of her. Her wishes were met as he released her to access the damages, before looking away, his ego too bruised to face Katharine. Katharine could not help but feel a vindictive satisfaction in the act; it was after all the second time that day that her foot was used for such rewarding and useful purposes. A small smile lit up in her eyes in their normal impish fashion.

But somehow she could not shake the feeling that someone was watching her, though her investigations into the matter proved that it must be her imagination was running wild again. But from the roof of the building across the street a young man with brilliant red eyes and dark brows and hair gazed down on the first maiden who had held such a fierce hold over him in his immortal and immortal lives. He could not help be shocked at the brazen way she stopped the advancement of her suitor. As he studied her face he could not help but become increasingly curious and annoyed, what exactly was this girl?

Katharine Louis was as wilful a girl as any of her time had the right to be, perhaps more. After all women were the property of their perspective men then and it was their job to look pretty and say nothing. Anything more than that could be means to make a witch out of the girl. Katharine had always walked a fine line, and now and then she strayed from the path that was set out for her and rubbed the wrong people the wrong way. As the younger of the two Louis daughters Katharine had always been the dark horse of the family, her looks taking after her mother's unlike her sister, always there but not in the forefront, which suited her. Her father was a clergy man, and her mother the daughter of a downtrodden gentleman. The family was decidedly middle class, with not much money to speak of.

Katharine turned her back on the presumptuous Claude, only then to come face to face with a furious looking man, whose blue eyes had turned to cold stones in scorn, as he gazed at his daughter. "Papa!" she gasped. "I...." Her father's only reply was cold silence, the rage building underneath.

Howell Louis was a man of little words, never the doting father type, he preferred to show his love and affection for those he cared for, with a structured upbringing and discipline that would help them more in life than fussy words; or at least that was his opinion. In some ways he was a shy man and made that excuse to avoid speaking of any embarrassing regards or affections. As of late he had in some ways become distanced from his youngest daughter. His inabating desire to have her marry Claude did not helping to breach the growing distance between them. And both parties felt the new gap keenly at times.

"Katharine Louis explain yourself, why are you dressed in such a shameful fashion?" He finally demanded, his voice shaking.

"I... ah lost my wrap." Was all that she could say, unable to answer her father. A little ashamed, she dropped her gaze to the ground.

"Come home at once, we will speak of this out of the streets." Turning abruptly he started towards home, without so much as a glance behind, assuming his daughter would follow. Katharine stared after the disappearing figure of her father, before turning to Claude. He grabbed her arm before she could leave.

"I will be by tomorrow to see your father and you" He announced his eyes lighting up a bit, but his face still pale from the ordeal. "There is ah something that I wish to err speak to you about." At this a little colour was brought back into his cheeks, and what little had been in Katharine's drained completely. But before Claude had time to say anything more Katherine had already left, tearing down the street after her father in a rather un-lady like matter. Panic adding speed to her flight as she knew that even though she could run from Claude that night by that time next day that would not be an option anymore. Above her a shadow mimicked her movements, jumping from rooftop to rooftop after her.

Perhaps it was the eerie calm of the street, but something caught Katharine's attention. She could sense something around her that, she turned in time to see, or at least she though she saw a man in a dark cloak vanish. It was too far away and to dark for her to see anything else and her human eyes definitely could not tell that it was the same young man from earlier. She simply turned and ran the rest of the way home, not daring to look over her shoulder again.

By the time Katharine reached her street and the familiar sight of home, her father had just arrived as well, even more displeased with the fact that she had not followed him directly as he had whished but taken another path home. He stood in the wooden door way of their slightly slanted two story home, waiting for her to go in first. The light from lantern above, already lit by Katharine's sister illuminated her father's face in a menacing way. His tall and regal figure stood at its maximum height, towering over his delinquent daughter. "Get in." He ordered. Katharine meekly marched in, shame colouring her face.

The Louis' house was small, but well furnished, with the front door opening directly into the main living space of the downstairs. Though the house had at one point been well kept and tidy, it had as of late fallen into disarray. All surfaces were cluttered, with parchment, letters, books and other miscellaneous household items. Several wraps, were draped over the couch (all belonging to Katharine's sister) and stubs of dwindling candles were left dying in their dishes. The last embers of the night's fire were dwindling in the fireplace, and cast a warm glow over the whole room. A glass door cabinet was pushed against the far wall and filled with all manner of things, though primarily Mr Louis' books. The family's heirloom porcelain dishes rested on top of the cabinet, delicate designs depicting the French countryside were painted over them in a faded blue. The writing desk was littered with papers, letters, quills and several books which could be either Katharine's or her father's –ownership had ceased to be clear with many books owned by the family, since Katharine persisted to borrow them so often that they could just as well be hers. Two high backed chairs were positioned in front of the fire place – on top of an old braided rug, that Katharine had hooked as a child- in one of them, basking in the lazy glow of the dying fire lounged Lucille Louis. Her red-gold head rested against the back of the chair, with her feet tossed up over one of the arms, missing one slipper. A bowl of grapes was balanced precariously on her chest, while she popped them into her mouth one at a time. Seeing her father, she immediately righted herself. "Oh papa, you're home!" she gasped, nearly dropping the bowl in her quick action.

Lucille Louis had always been regarded as the prettiest girl in all of town. Her vivid blue eyes and luscious red-gold hair were very much in contrast with her sister dark locks and almost hazel brown eyes. Though she could be very silly at times she was still much closer to being a lady than her sister could ever hope to be. Though many of the other girls in town preferred to constantly bring up how vain she was, they were as Katharine would call bitter harpies at times. Though Lucille was indeed very silly and more than a little foolish at times she still always maintained her position of the eldest daughter and sister in the house and was very much - when you looked past some of her faults- a nice girl. The two sister could fight like cats and dogs; Katharine being to pretentious for Lucille's tastes and Lucille likewise being to overbearing for Katharine, however the two were sisters and acted as such the majority of the time.

Mr Louis gave an exasperated sigh before allowing himself to fall back onto the couch. Katharine waited nervously by the door, before crossing the small space to sit on the arm of the sofa, by her father. "Papa..." she smiled. Mr Louis raised the hand covering his eyes to look at his youngest child, before raising his eyebrow.

"Now then daughter, why don't you enlighten me as to your reason for parading yourself all over town in that state." The small burst of sarcastic humour that had started the question had died out by halfway, when he remembered the severity of the situation. Mr Louis' sense of humour normally was short lived, though it was regularly used in the most untimely circumstances. His cynical streak had been passed on in full to Lucille. Perhaps it could be explained why Katharine was his favourite –though he rarely showed it – since she not only favoured her mother's looks but also her sense of humour and her general temperament.

Katharine started in the steady manner one might take when explaining something to a child, but gave out halfway through and ended up rushing through the rest of the story in an attempt to get the ordeal over with as soon as possible. She skipped over the part of assaulting Claude with her foot, and a few other minor mishaps that might cause her father to rebuke her more than he was likely to already.

Mrs Louis would simply have shaken her head over the whole situation and chided Katharine for worrying her so but, that was not the way of Mr Louis. Though the whole night's events had frightened him something fierce, he would not dwindle on that part of the story but would move on right away to scolding Katharine for her actions, so that she might never be in that situation again and therefore would be safe. Katharine in turn would take the rebuke and draw the childish conclusion that her father would not have cared one bit if the vampire that night had taken a bite out of her. And as usual the misunderstanding would not be righted.

But the topic of that night's argument shifted from Katharine's behaviour to the usual disagreement pertaining to a certain up and coming son of a wealthy merchant. "There will be no discussion on that Katharine!" Mr Louis stated angrily "It is not open to conversation and the matter is decided on. Monsieur Noel is doing very well in his business in the colonies and Claude is a very proper and well behaved young man, you will do well with him." Katharine simply scoffed at the idea.

"Honestly Katharine, I do not see why you dislike Claude so much, he's very handsome and if you do not act fast, I'm sure your friend Marie Bandeau is just waiting to snap him up. I see her making eyes at him whenever he comes to call." Lucille interjected; her face one of triumph. Katharine's silver tongue acted out before she had sense or time to keep it in check.

"Perhaps you would like to ask him to marry _you_, Lucille." She snapped. She regretted the words as soon as they had leaped off her tongue and even more so when she saw her elder sisters face. Lucille's face contorted briefly in a spasm of pain at the reminder, before becoming icy cold while she gave her reply.

"Well now, we all know that is not a possibility." Her voice bared very little emotion at the deliverance of this statement, but an almost cruel smile came while she continued on in her vindictive state. "Perhaps you will not be so lucky to have Claude with you the next time that you attract another one of those demons, but then again we all know how very fond they are of you. Perhaps you've even brought another one down onto our home again." Lucille's face and manner did not change much as she watch the words cut Katharine, however the words did relieve her of a little ache that had been building in her chest, only temporally though. Katharine's face had turned a very particular shade of gray, before she fled from the room. Of course the fight had not gone un-noticed by the girls' father who had as of yet had the chance to act until just then.

"We never speak of that in this house young lady!" Mr Louis sated in an angry tone, the words barely above a whisper; his words once again silencing any discussion of the matter. Any mention of that was strictly taboo in the Louis household.

"Perhaps..." he continued. "If you had had more sense, it would not have fallen to your younger sister to be the first to wed." Mr Louis left then for the peace of his study, leaving Lucille to quiet her angry sobs by the fire. Meanwhile Katharine had retreated to her space in the attic and thrown open the small window there. She was very much hurt and angry then, but as a rule she never allowed herself to cry in front of others, in fact she rarely ever cried at all. She simply allowed herself to slump there by the window but nothing else. When her temper had softened a little she let out a small ironic laugh at something she recalled, her sister had just the other day called her the most stubborn girl in all of France and she knew that she very much was at that moment. She had provoked Lucille, but still even in this semi enlightened state she could allow herself to forgive her for bring up that matter.

"Lucille had no right!" She fumed. Then she allowed the guilt to overtake her and sobbed tearless sobs.

Just outside her window, perched on top of the roof, crouched one of the vampires that had been a topic of that night's conversation. James leaned forward holding onto the eves of the roof by his fingertips. Was the girl crying? He could hear her clearly, but he didn't smell any saltwater from bellow.

"Stupid God damn vampires!" She seethed, hatred fiercely underlying and colouring her words. At this the young man's hearing pricked up, annoyed with the silly human bellow him and the fact that he actually cared enough to track her perked up his temper. He screwed up his brow and mouth in annoyance, before deciding to pursue something that would prove to be less frivolous than some stupid human.

He sometimes tracked people for the fun of it, but just to occupy himself. He had always had a flare for it, even when he was human. He would never think to call it a gift - even though some had done so- but generally, once he had sized someone up, he had a vague idea where they would go and such and since he had been turn immortal that had only been heightened. He would not allow some silly little human to bug, or intrigue him so much again. Making up his mind to put the girl bellow him out of his way, he jumped gracefully down off of the roof, swooping past Katharine on his way down. Disorient she looked up in time to see him land, before he glance up at her startled face and disappeared.

Katharine would have been less surprised if you had told her that the king of France had just abdicated the thrown to marry a maid then she was to see the vampire fly pass her and then look up at her with impassable eyes. Those eyes were such a brilliant and vibrant colour and very startling in the way they seemed to almost glow. But it was not only the sudden appearance of the man that had started her and even caused a hint of colour to heat her cheeks. It was that in that fleeting second, she had noticed that his face was rather striking and not only because of the startling white skin and the bright red eyes. In that moment he could have killed her but he simply left, just like he had earlier that evening. "He just ate, judging by his eyes. That's why he did not hurt me. Vampires have no compassion anyways; they are simply animals, ruled by their instincts." She thought bitterly. Stubborn and mad she stopped all thoughts involving the vampire and his looks no matter how dashing they may be. She did not allow herself to remember how surprised she was to see him when she had rounded the corner and how stupefied by his looks she had been. The only thing that she would dwell on was how much she hated vampires.

Already at the outskirts of town, James stubbornly put the girl out of his mind as he left the area. Both making up their minds that they would not so much as grace the other with a single thought.

**AN: Well it's grossly overdue however, that's the chapter. I just finished some summer courses and am now free, finally! But I hadn't been able to really get down to writing until now and then what can I say all of a sudden I finished the chapter I started months ago... half a year ago actually. I haven't really gotten too far into the story. We have only been following James and Katharine for half a day or so, shocking really. Speaking of which, I've made those two so stubborn, how on earth will they stand each other? Oh well I think that they are actually quite alike really. So once again please review, I hate to sound like that whinny little author but really please do, it would mean an awful lot to me. But then if you're like me you just skip right over the author's note so I shouldn't be talking. Anyways, hopped you liked the chapter. Next one will be out soon, I'll start as soon as I edit and post this one.**


	4. Chapter 3: The Meeting in the Clearing

**To be honest, this has been sitting in my computer for quite a while; I just haven't had the chance to post it yet or rather I wanted to finish the next chapter first. The next chapter is already done, I just want to edit it a bit more before I post it and chapter six already had several pages written. Enjoy and please review. **

The morning after a fight is a curious thing, everyone creeps around each other in an overly polite state. The closest of people, suddenly find there is a distance between them; that they have to be extra careful around each other, as if the smallest of discourses would start the brawl up again. This curious state was the one in which the Louis family was in, the next morning. Lucille sat by the fireplace with her embroidery and glanced up now and then at the still mad Katharine, who had just emerged from upstairs. Mr Louis preferred to avoid this awkward situation in its entirety and stayed locked away in his study for the duration of the morning. Exasperated with the whole situation Katharine left for a walk, under the pretence of going to call on the Bandeaus.

As soon as she was out of the house and in the cold, she had to rethink her original idea of going to the clearing. The season had truly died and there was no disputing the fact that it was certainly fall then. In fact venturing any further than her doorway without a heavier shawl was out of the question, let alone going to the clearing. Katharine darted inside quickly to grab her wrap from its peg and rushed out again before Lucille, who had tried to speak could say anything. Annoyed Lucille sat promptly back down into her chair and took her frustration out on a cushion that was doing the opposite of its function.

Outside Katharine was already at the end of the lane. The houses in that part of town were built very close together, and even though it was not the bad end of town, the laneways were very cramped. It was a ten minute walk up to the Bandeau's dwelling. Up being the operative word in that sentence since the Bandeaus lived near the top of the steep incline on which the town was built on, along with the more wealthy merchants and gentlemen that lived in town. St Pierre was small, so society was much less varied than in other parts of the country. There were not many girls of the same age, so it was not surprising that Marie and Katharine met often, even though their personalities differed greatly. However Katharine very much liked to listen to her playful banter and talk of all the places Marie had been to. Katharine was no such country bumpkin to have never gone farther than the next village, unlike most. She had been born in England in fact, but unlike Katharine, Marie had been all over France and Europe. The two were unlikely friends but very fond of each other.

As Katharine neared the house, she saw a flutter of the curtains in the pallor room of the Bandeau home, within a minute Marie had appeared in the doorway, her slivery head bobbing towards Katharine. "Why my little English mouse, you look quite remarkable on the morrow of a vampire encounter!" She smiled, grasping for her friend's hands affectionately. The nickname mouse was not used out of meanness, but had become something of a pet name that Marie used for Katharine. When Katharine had first come to St Pierre three years ago, the season had been hot, and seen more sun than usual and Katharine had developed an uncharacteristic tan because of it. She had been quite brown and freckled when she had first appeared in town, sitting in the back of the hay wagon and with her brown hair and eyes, skin and freckles, as well as her small size at the time, she had look quite like a little field mouse sitting among the hay. So when one of the boys who had seen her, had started up the chant:

Look at the mouse

The brown, brown dirty little mouse

Sitting in the hay missing her English house

Look at the dirty brown mouse

Marie, who was very temperamental at the time, took it upon herself that she liked the little English girl and even more so when the agitated Katharine had smiled and said to the silly little boy, that any field mouse was cleaner than him and perhaps if he was smart enough to actually catch one, he would not look quite so much as if he lived with hoards of them. Marie had of course found this very clever and decided that she would like to know more of the little English mouse. Whenever She used the nickname, it was the same as saying clever little mouse as she had when they were younger. Over the years since, Katharine had shot up in height, her eyes turned more hazel than dark brown, she lost those few freckles she had had; her hair had darkened back up - to how it had been when she was a small child - and she no longer grew tan in the summers. So mouse really could not describe her anymore, but it remained a happy nickname among the two.

Though Marie was a year older and already seventeen, many often thought that Katharine was the elder of the two, since Marie could be rather silly. Marie seemed to be perpetually happy, never upset for more than a few moments; she was infectious and even when upset, spending a few moments with her bettered your mood. But she seemed to evoke extremes in people though, either you loved her instantly or you could not stand her. At that moment the sun came out from behind the silvery clouds and illuminated Marie's long frizzy sliver blond locks. Marie was a very willowy girl; she was pale and had washed out grey-blue eyes that were slivery like her hair. If one did not know her they would assume that she was a meek little lady who listened to everything, which was true when she needed to be.

"And how is it that you are so well informed?" Katharine laughed "Ms Bandeau." At this she twisted her voice into a deeper more comical tone.

"Oh Katharine, how you make me laugh" Marie stated happily. "You have no idea how terribly deprived of any laughter I have been. Now of course I am informed, the whole village is informed for that matter. Now do tell me, I've been dying all morning to hear your account of Claude _throwing_ himself in front of you to save you from that horrid vampire." She finished wickedly.

"Why Marie Josephine Bandeau, you are becoming a horrid old gossip!" Katharine gasped.

"Oh don't call me that, it makes me think of my mother and she is ten times more silly than little old me, now out with it. I am simply dying to know!"

Katharine gave an exasperated sigh before confirming that it was true, but it did not really mean much.

"You are a fool Katharine, that boy is clearly in love with you." Marie continued in her teasing manner. "If I were you I would snatch him right up." At this Marie shook her head, becoming serious for a moment. "But then I am not you, and truth be told, he does not really suit you Katharine. A pity for what wonderful looks he has!" Her tone returned to its normal playful inflections at this. The shocking thing about Marie was, with all of the wonderfully silly things that came from her, bits of true wisdom and insight came too, once in a blue moon as well.

At this Katharine shifted the conversation to a less awkward topic. "Now aren't you the least bit worried about me after I came so close to a vampire?" Katharine teased. At this Marie looked truly astonished.

"Why Katharine Louis of course I was! Why do you think I was waiting in the pallor for you to call in fact I had just made up my mind when you came up the lane; that if I did not see you in ten minutes I would go down to find you myself. If it was me I would have simply died of fright, I don't see how you do it, but you look like your unusual pretty self." Marie was as fond of giving complements as she was of receiving them. She always said that since they made her feel superb and she should do the same to others. So in that sense she would call a mangy mutt adorable to make its circumstances seem less dire.

But to this little monologue Katharine simply gave her usual answer. "I'm just not scared of vampires."

"Not even after being so close to one, to being so close to death!" Marie's eyes widened dramatically at this, causing Katharine to laugh.

"I thought you just said that you were scared for me and now you discuss my near death experience so calmly!" Katharine teased. Marie's eyes widen innocently.

"Oh I knew you wouldn't die, you are the indestructible Katharine after all. My little mouse is far too smart to get into such a scrap as death."

"Fearless of vampires perhaps but certainly not indestructible, but I'll give you incorruptible." Katharine teased.

"In some ways, my dear Katharine you are much more frightening than any old vampire." Marie stated in awe, while Katharine pulled her towards the house.

The two girls spent a merry little afternoon together, full of jokes and the latest gossip, supplied in full by Marie. As it turned out she had acquired a new number of beaus that were currently courting her. When Katharine, in shock asked why she persisted to keep so many men around her, especially when it was food for old gossips like Mme Degaulle. Marie simply laughed and said that since asking if she would marry him would be the last thing a man would ever ask her opinion on, she meant to string out the time before she had to answer that question to anyone, for as long as possible. They talked briefly of Marie's employment to Mme Degaulle. Since the Degaulles had at one time been a noble family, Mousier Bandeau had thought that a summer of work as a lady's maid might cure his daughter of her ways. The job was meant to entail mostly of a lot of embroidery and company. However Mme Degaulle took it as if Marie was employed to her as a common maid and asked Marie constantly to do all sorts of unfitting jobs, which Marie promptly refused to do. Saying how un-lady like her hands would become if she swept the fireplace.

Before long the height of the afternoon was nearly over and Mrs Bandeau was making hints that Katharine should hurry home before it was too late, since she would not like to be out at night in a un-lady like fashion so soon again. Katharine of course knew this was her signal to leave, even though it was only about three.

Mme Bandeau had taken it into her head years ago that Katharine was the bad influence on her daughter and the root of the problem of Marie's silliness derived from her friendship with her. Therefore she thought it best if Katharine's company and influence was put to a minimum. Since she could as of yet talk Marie out of the friendship.

As Katharine left, Mme Dubois came to call on Mme Bandeau. Marie sensing an onslaught of gossip, speed herself away to a little corner from which she might listen to them talk without being too noticeable. However Mme Bandeau had other ideas, since the topic of her "discussion" with Mme Dubois would be mostly about the young girls of St Pierre, namely the troublesome Katharine Louis. So the conversation did not start until Marie had been safely sent to the next room. But that did not stop her from managing to listen in on them and she managed to grasp these snippets of their conversation.

"-- Oh I know she's a terrible influence, but I simply do not know what to do about it, Marie simply refuses to quit her." Mme Bandeau was lamenting.

Marie was filled with indignation but listened harder to catch Mme Dubois' reply.

"Well what can you expect from her? Especially with that father of hers and with her older sister as a reference, it is no wonder that she has turned out so poorly. " Mme Dubois' deep hoarse voice replied, for she was getting on in years.

"Yes Mr Louis does seem to be too preoccupied with his ideologies and such to pay his daughters much mind, it's really quite shocking that Katharine managed to attracted Claude Noel." Mme Bandeau replied with a bitter tone in her voice, for she had hoped that Marie might one day be married to Claude.

"Yes shocking, I do hope that dear boy comes to his senses soon though. He looks a fair bit like my dear Sinclair did." Mme Dubois cooed. Sinclair Dubois had indeed looked nothing like Claude, he had had mousey, dirty blonde hair that was always very messy and his colouring had been very different, his eyes having been a nondescript brown. However he had been a very sweet boy and in that sense very different from Claude. He had died at the tender age of twelve almost a decade ago from an infection of the lungs.

"Yes."Sniffed Mme Bandeau though she could not see any similarities between the two, for she had built Claude up so much in her mind, that he could rival King Louis the fourteenth in some aspects.

"Did you hear what happened to the mother?" Mme Dubois continued

"No, she was not with them when they came three years ago, is it scandalous?" Mme Bandeau's knitting needles speed up with her excited voice.

Mme Dubois stopped her needle work to heighten the moment and allow Mme Bandeau to wriggle in anticipation. She really enjoyed keeping her on tenterhooks while she pursued her lips, as if trying to recall the facts. "Well, it is noting too exciting. Everyone in town assumed she had died, which is true. The question is really how. Since no one in town was very well acquainted with the family when they came, the details are very unclear. I have heard Mr Louis say that she died of typhus; the poor thing, a year before they came. However, many believed that it might have been the plague, but the dates then don't line up with what Mr Louis said, since the last plague in London was in 1625..."

"Oh, but they were not in London." Mme Bandeau interrupted excitedly.

"Anyways" Mme Dubois continued, not happy with Mme Bandeau for interrupting. "Apparently, someone over heard Lucille say that Katharine had brought the illness down on their home. Someone asked Katharine and apparently she confirmed that she had taken gravely ill when she was twelve, but she would not say with of what."

"So then the family blames the girl for the mother's death, oh how wicked and to think that after all the things that the father preaches in church!" Mme Bandeau gasped. "And to think her Harlot of a sister would dare to say that after what she has done to their family name."

At this Marie could stand no more and she went to talk with her father, wondering how different her mother and she could be; for though Marie loved to gossip, she did not like to be ruthless about it, dragging out someone's history was of no consequence for her. So she left her mother and Mme Dubois to talk about the latest fashion.

Katharine left, feeling the full effects of an afternoon with Marie, her irritation at her sister had died out and her good mood had been restored until she opened her front door and came face to face with a very happy Claude. Shocked at seeing him there her famous mouth acted out with "What on earth are you doing here?"

To this Claude flushed a little and replied "I have come to speak to you and your father, as I told you yesterday." Katharine was on the verge of making an excuse to hurry back out again, but her father at that moment came into view.

"Ah Daughter, you're home. I was just about to send someone after you." He stated absentmindedly, fiddling with his glasses. Claude sat down looking still happier. "Claude has already had a word with me and I think there are things to discuss."

At this Katharine felt as though all windows and doors in her life had been shut to her. There was no way out now, she would have to accept Claude. It was her duty to her family. The roles of females were set in stone, since the family had no male heir, when Mr Louis died they would all face destitution. Katharine's marriage was the only way to save her sister and herself from poverty. But to be forced to enter a loveless marriage that could only end in Misery for herself; to Katharine death would have been a kinder fate, but it was not only her life but her sister's as well. She could clearly see each of her dreams become impossible, and her life wife Claude stretched out before her like an endless road, with no bend in it, just straight through till it ended with death.

It cannot be denied that even Mousier Louis felt a small twinge of guilt when he saw the hollow look of Katharine's face. "Sit down Katharine, there are things to discuss." Mr Louis stated quietly, not meeting his daughter's eyes.

"I'd rather stand if it was alright with you." She replied coldly.

"Whatever is most comfortable for you Katharine" Claude answered merrily, completely oblivious to the current atmosphere.

"Sit. You are being rude." Mr Louis stated, still not looking at her and speaking gravely.

"Well ah Katharine your father is right and it would be best for you to sit. This is a very important conversation after all." Claude quickly stated, it a happy tone.

"I will not."

"Now Monsieur Louis perhaps Katharine is right in this matter, this discussion mostly pertains to her and she should feel at ease and at her happiest when she hears what I have to say and may I venture so far as to say that logistically this is better." Claude ventured to suggest, his voice bubbling with excitement.

"Do not be ridiculous daughter. Sit!"

"Now Katharine you should always listen to your elders since they always know the better and should be respected, listen to your father and sit down." Claude interjected.

"I will stand."

"For pity's sake daughter sit down this minute!" At this Mr Louis rose from his chair.

Claude grew a little desperate at this change of events that he had not seen coming, the sudden change of atmosphere seem to have sprung from nowhere to him and his brain was already slowly turning to try and find a remedy to the situation.

"Now, now, perhaps mediation is in order her; for is it not always said that mediation is the best remedy for confrontation" Claude recited desperately.

"Mediate away Claude, I'm sure papa will listen to you rather than me." Katharine nearly snapped.

"Enough!" Mr Louis yelled. All of the commotion had brought Lucille down from upstairs to watch and though she had been mildly entertained up until this point, listening to Claude's ever changing replies. She would not allow Katharine's engagement to be endangered.

"Really Katharine, be civil." Lucille called from her perch on the stairwell.

"Yes Katharine be civil." Claude echoed, turning to Lucille with a look of thanks that soon turned to disgust when he remembered something. Embarrassed he dropped his gaze and turned a cold shoulder on her.

"Claude, we really do have things to discuss." Mr Louis stated frankly.

"Well, then I'll leave you two to it." Katharine stated in mock merriment, before turning and leaving the house in two quick strides. She was already past the lane way and down the stairs to the lower half of town, when someone went after her.

Marie could have guessed where Katharine had run off to, but for Lucille and Mr Louis they had no idea and when they called on the Bandeaus, they found Marie most unhelpful. Katharine was in fact at that very moment, running through the French countryside, and taking a shortcut to the clearing.

-------------------

James sat on a brick wall, covered with ivy. He had not left the area as he had planned the night before but decided to stay and see if he could intercept William, who had told him last year he would be in that part of the country. Truth be told, James was very bored, he sat there on the old brick wall - which might have been built around the time he was born, or perhaps a bit before that – and simply watched the swaying trees. He could see the leaves already beginning to turn; make out their drying texture that a human might have simply thought was a healthy green leaf. He had spent the day in that fashion, since he was really too lazy to go hunt for more food. But fall seemed to pacify him generally. In his boyhood it had been his favourite season and that had passed on into the next life. All the colours and textures could be enjoyed so much more with heightened senses and though it did not last long, he was normally content to simply sit lazily around during the duration of the season.

He glanced around the clearing that he was in. It must have been part of the old city at one point, but it was simply abandoned then. It was quite peaceful and he was surprised that not many humans ventured into it. But this generation was not like his and they seemed to have very little time on their hands, or perhaps he had more of an appreciation for the subtleties of nature since he had grown up in the countryside. However there was one human scent that was mixed in among the grass by the river, it was familiar but the fresh rain from the night before had cleared most of it away and even a vampire would have a hard time trying to identify it.

But the sound of someone moving through the forest towards him caught his attention. James silently slipped from his place on the wall and stood out of sight behind some foliage. A wave of recognition hit him as he paired the coming scent of lavender and dogwood to the lingering scent in the clearing. He was debating whether to give up his spot and leave or simply scare off the girl so he could stay in peace, when Katharine dashed in the far side of the clearing and she was clearly angry. James watched silently as she collapsed in an angry heap by the river and started pulling the grass up in irritation. She soon tired of that and simply laid her head on her arms. Intrigued James hopped back up onto the wall to watch her; he stayed so still that he could pass as a statue and Katherine with her head turned the other way did not even notice. This annoyed James a little and as it seemed unlikely that she would notice his presence anytime soon, he spoke.

"You know, you always seem to be angry to me." He called out to her, wondering how she would react.

Katharine jerked up, clearly surprised that there was someone else there. She froze when her eyes met James' red ones.

"What you're not running away and screaming?" he joked. "Or are you too scared to run?"

Katharine straightened up to a standing position, and stared up hat him with hatred. "I never run away from vampires." She answered coldly, her voice only breaking a little at the end.

"How strange, and why is that?" James continued. This girl was so very different from the others he had come across, from the other humans he had dealt with, she intrigued him.

"I'm not afraid of vampires" She stated calmly, though James could see that she was shaking slightly.

"Oh really?" he stated smiling. "I beg to differ, you are shaking."

"I am not." Katharine stated angrily. In less than the time it took Katharine to draw another breath, James stood less than a foot in front of her. Katharine could not help but to gasp and falter backwards.

"See, you're shaking." James smiled, but there was a melancholy note in his voice. The smile had not been menacing, but it had not been happy either, simply something mechanical like returning someone's greeting to you on the street. It had not touched his eyes either.

Katharine stubbornly stood her ground then.

"All humans are afraid of vampires." He continued. "After all--"

Here Katharine cut him off. "And all vampires were once humans."

James was taken aback then. "Don't tell me that is why you are not afraid of us, or so you claim, because that is a very stupid reason."

"I never said that was the reason. I don't try to humanize you lot if that is what you are implying."

"Well then, what is it and for your information you're shaking again." He stated calmly, taking a step forward. So that he was now very close to her.

"I am mad, that's why." Katharine stated. Her hatred for what stood in front of her driving out any fear as she stood up straighter and stared up to the handsome face above her.

"Yes you are I should think, after all you are holding a conversation with a vampire. Only someone crazy would do that" He joked, his eyes becoming wicked.

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" She said angrily, taking a step forward.

James head snapped to the west end of the clearing before turning back to Katharine. Leaning down and whispering into her ear. "You have a death wish then. But if you want to live even a little bit, leave now and don't run out again tonight." A hint of urgency had underlined his words, but Katharine had not noticed.

"If you wanted to kill me you've had many chances already, I'm not scared." She stated coldly.

"Just leave and never come here again!" James all but yelled, he was becoming increasingly agitated, and his eyes kept darting to the west.

"I will not!" Katharine yelled. "You cannot take this place away from me!" She would never again allow a vampire to steal something important from her.

"Just go!" he implored, becoming increasingly desperate as he heard the immortal nearing them.

Katharine oblivious to the danger did not move.

"Unless you want to lose everyone dear to you, leave." James hissed desperate for her to leave.

Katharine's eyes widened in horror, as she took in the threat and her face contorted in pain. Before she knew it her hand snapped out and hit his stone cheek hard. "I hate you so much." She spat, before turning and sprinting out of the clearing.

James was left with mingled emotions, his fake threat had done its purpose but he had certainly not expected her to slap him. He did not like being slapped by a human, it was ridiculously degrading and he was having a hard time controlling his vampire instincts. Had he been a young vampire he would have already killed her, but he had gained restraint over the years. Instead he sprinted off to meet William.

James intercepted William deep into the forest, by an old gnarled maple tree. It must have been several hundred years old possibly almost a thousand. Its green canopy stretched far around and basked in the sunlight. A pond surrounded it, with the swampy marshland forming a little island around it. Its roots came up from above the ground and leaning against the wide trunk lounged William.

"Well James, why is it that I smell a human on you but no blood?" William questioned obviously disgruntled about something. "We could have shared that girl that you had with you."

"Don't you touch her!" James snapped, astonished that he had actually said something like that without thinking and even became even madder when he remembered the slap.

"Alright already, I get it. When you are done playing around your food, I'll just take a little bit then." William laughed, though still a little perturbed at his friends unusual behaviour.

James controlled his emotions better this time and simply gave a fake little smile.

"Come my friend, it's been almost a decade since we've had any leisurely time together." William laughed. William was bulker than James and an inch shorter, his light brown hair was pulled into a short and messy ponytail at the nape of his neck like James', however he had the ruffed up look of one who had recently speed through the woods at incredible speed. His shirt tails were left open and he wore no cloak or jacket, his knee length leather boots were battered and dishevelled. He had the same bristles on his chin the last time James had seen him. Though William and James did not differ greatly in terms of their life spans as vampires, William had been nearly four years older than James when he had been turned and therefore had been stopped forever at twenty-three. His near black eyes regarded his friend who stood little more than ten feet from him. William was thirsty and for some reason that worried James.

James came to his senses and walked towards William at mortal speed, and for some reason he was hoping that the girl was already well on her way home by then.

**An: There, finally they meet and actually talked, god that took a while, this is the fourth chapter. Anyway thanks for reading and please review (who doesn't ask people to review?) Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, please bear with Claude. I really did try to make him less annoying but that's one of his biggest characterization points. I was trying to use him for a bit of comic relief, but then maybe he's just destined to be one of those annoying characters that make the heroine seem more popular. He does play an important part later on in the story though so he won't be going away anytime... sorry. By the way, keep up the speculations of the plot, I'm really enjoying it! **


	5. Chapter 4: Choices

**AN: Sorry... I forgot, I actually had this done back in August. Heh heh I know you all hate me. Well you know the drill read and review please. Enjoy :P**

"So what have you been up too lately?" James asked conversationally.

William righted himself as James approached. "Not much. So tell me, what are you doing spending so much time in France anyways?" he asked, tilting his head a little to the side.

"It's different, but not so far, I suppose. This country seems more tame than home in some ways."

"Nothing can beat good old England my friend."

"You have been doing some traveling yourself. Tell me how far east did you go this time?" James questioned. William had always been the type that needed movement to survive, he never stayed in one place to long and had many friends scattered across Europe, James simply happened to be one of the oldest. The two had met when they had been both newborns; in fact they had been turned by the same vampire so they were linked by venom.

Vampire populations by nature decreased over time. The species being a solitary one, do not normally add to their numbers, so any newborns are normally created by accident when feeding. As the top predator, they can never out number their prey; therefore the count normally averages out to: for every 100 or so humans, there is one vampire. Vampire populations are completely dependent on the human ones and when there is a shortage of humans the vampires turn against themselves, competing for food. Over the past century a new wave of the bubonic plague had spread over Europe, decimating the human population. The majority of the vampire population at the time had been concentrated in Europe and though they could not die of the disease themselves; when their food source started dropping off, they fought amongst themselves and killed a great many of their own kind and for a time it seem vampire's were in danger of becoming extinct. Though vampires are nomadic and might not seem like a uniformed race, they all have a sense of pride and superiority and needless to say they would not want to endanger the whole race; so around the time James and William had been human, many vampires had taken to turning humans to sustain their numbers. As a result both William and James had been turned in similar manners by the same old male who had left immediately after and never returned.

William had opened up to the new life with relish. It was not because he was particularly cruel, but simply because he had been the sort of man for whom humanity no longer held any interest to him, or kindness. Due to the circumstances of his life he had simply given up, so to say, on his life becoming anything of consequence. As a vampire he could simply allow himself to be ruled by instincts; with the sharper senses, things held a new beauty in them and somehow to him the world seemed to make more sense. It was a new chance at life for William, a new chance at a new life, void of all the underhanded dealings of human society. The whole world had opened up to him as a vampire and he was no longer stuck within the same ten miles he had been born to, the world had become his oyster. Perhaps that was what propelled him so far around the globe. So that the feeling of being trapped in one place that had been so constant as a human, might never again over take him.

"I went as far as the orient this time." William replied, his eyes lighting up a little as he thought of all the wonders he had seen. "However I did not make it to Italy, which brings me to my point of being here. How would you like to go see the grandest of vampire cities my friend?"

"I was not planning on paying the Volturi a visit, if that is what you mean." James smiled. William's mood was unabated by James' seemly unenthusiastic response.

"As if the Volturi have time to see every vampire that comes to town, besides they are busy with the Romanians right now. You only don't want to go because you turned down their offer to become part of the guard." William teased pointedly.

"A good tracker is a dime a dozen these day, and I'm sure that once something better comes along I would fall back in the ranks... They are like that in the sense that they have no loyalty to their so called guards. Besides, I prefer my freedom, too simply doing their bidding any day." James answered in a similar manner.

"But still a place in the guard... Ah well here I suppose you have more fun playing with your food here." William Laughed his deep laugh, however James stiffened a little at the comment before reminding himself that there was nothing to be upset over. William scrutinized James, before appearing in front of him at immortal speed. "I do believe that something is bothering me. Have you always been this stern or is my memory fading in old age?" William asked, infringing on James' personal space, the half smile that almost never left his face clearly visible. When James said nothing remarkable to this comment, William made a face before saying "Tell you what, stay in the area before you decided and I will simply take a stroll of the country. But you know, I have never been to Italy and really would very much like a companion who is normally very agreeable and could serve as a guide."

"Sounds like an idea. I do not quite feel like leaving France just yet" James answered.

"Excellent! Now if you excuse me, I saw some very tasty maids on my way here on the coast; who are in need of some vampire charm." William gave his eccentric version of a bow that contained more finesse and flare than the French courts, before disappearing into a whirl of air and leaves and leaving James alone on the miniature island.

For James, the whole encounter had been far less agreeable than any similar ones he had shared with William in the past. The two were normally quite the pair; however James' unusual moodiness had not allowed for the normal exchange to take place. William was a lot like how one of James' brothers had been, flamboyant with a unique sense of humour. Though James could remember little of his life as a human, four faces and a farm stuck out in his memory. He could remember all of their faces relatively clearly. His mother - who he had recently eclipsed in height – with her sunny looks, rang out even in his dulled memory with the light brown hair and warm and happy blue eyes. His brothers - who except for the youngest who shared the sunny looks of their mother - looked so like himself and their father. And his father himself, with his tall and dark looks. But though he could remember their faces, and how the land on their farm had looked he couldn't even remember his last name. Perhaps that was why he had planned to go home this time; he could probably find the place and maybe then discover who they had been and who he really was. There was very little he was aware of when he had been turned, he remembered that it had been twilight, that he had gone out for a walk and after the three days of torture he had awoken to the burning desire in his throat and the name James in his mind.

James had always been impulsive and at the moment he could just run to England, but he still did not feel like leaving town, and he had the nagging suspicion that a certain girl might be the source of that and at that moment the very girl was on her way home in a very bad mood.

Katharine was both angry about her exchange with the vampire and the prospects she would face when she got home, she took a very sore kind of comfort in the fact that it was very unlikely that Claude would still be there. However she had been so distracted by her temper that she had failed to take the shortcut home and had ended up right in front of Mme Degaulle's cottage and the lady herself stood prominently in front of her. Mme Dagaulle was certainly in her normal temperament and Katharine in one fleeting moment drew a parallel to a snake coiling up before it struck the poor defenceless mouse before it. Mme Dagaulle wore her normal teethe version of a smile that showed her greying gums. "Why Katharine Louis, what brings you to my neck of the woods, I do certainly hope that you have come to call." She asked in an overly sweetened voice.

Katharine was slightly dumbfounded by the situation that she had gotten into and though it greyed her mood, it sharpened her tongue considerably. The idea of sitting down to tea with the likes of Mme Dagaulle was certainly not a pleasing one. "I was just on my way home, perhaps another time."

"Nonsense child, has your father instilled no manners in you, you must come in when invited." Mme Dagaulle's reply was full of a certain kind of mocking delight that was said in such a way that Katharine had no choice but to accept. Mme Dagaulle was most certainly delighted by something but it was not the prospect of sitting down to break bread with Katharine. She finally had within her grasp the power to put Katharine Louis in her place, and nothing would make her give that up. Her eyes lit up in gruesome delight at the idea and Katharine in her stupor could not think a way out of the situation.

At this Mme Dagaulle turned into her lane, before glancing over her shoulder to make certain that Katharine was following. Once Katharine was inside, she had the sickening feeling of entering a windowless room and the door being closed behind her with a bang, sealing her up in darkness. Clicking her tongue Mme Dagaulle sat down on one of her hard wooden chairs that were so like her and turned and faced Katharine with an angelic grin, laced with malice. Katharine gave her best strained pleasantries, all the while thinking of how Lucille would probably have been able to do it better. For Katharine had always been in the habit, of what Lucille called "painting her thoughts on her face for all to see and judge" and she always had trouble hiding her discomfort in situations like her present one. However there was no way she would allow Mme Dagaulle to see how uncomfortable she was so she came off quite cheerful when she complemented Mme Dagaulle's taste in furnishings. "I find that a bit of yellow in a room can really give a cheerful feeling, what is madam's opinion?" Katharine asked her small smile lighting up her face in quite a pleasant way –even Mme Dagaulle thought for a fleeting second that Katharine could be quite becoming in some ways, but she would never admit that the thought had ever crossed her mind if you asked her. But the smile had lacked a little something that an authentic one possessed.

To this Mme stiffly replied. "I find that yellow can be a terribly childish colour, when used incorrectly." Mme Dagaulle said this because she had many yellow accents in her front room, to offset the light blue and white motif. It might surprise you to learn that the Dagaulle cottage was rather tastefully decorated when you looked at the grim way the lady herself dressed. Though Mme Dagaulle continued to wear blacks and grays so long after the death of her husband, her drawing room was always up to par to the latest style, though it might be confessed that the same could not be said about her bedroom, which was very much like her in the way that it was very dark, not only in light but in colour pallet as well. The pleasant way that the parlour room had been decorated suited Katharine's personality much better and she look more at home in the room than the owner, who could not help but to take offence at this.

"Then perhaps you have done such to remind you of your youth then." Katharine asked with her wickedly impish look. Until this exchange Katharine's behaviour had been unapproachable and someone who knew the two and had expected quite the battle of words would have been rather disappointed. However Mme Dagaulle could be liked to an owl. Though an owl might seem harmless enough, it is in fact quite the predator and normally sits in wait for the perfect moment to swoop down and devour its prey, such as a little mouse for example. This little slight from Katharine had been exactly the handle she had wished to latch onto and she took the opportunity to swoop down on her young prey.

"My, my Katharine you are quite the clever girl aren't you." She said with the same overly sweet voice. "It's such a pity that you can't help that tongue of yours. You remind me a great deal of your mother at your age." At this Katharine stiffened, though her mother had indeed grown up in Northern France, her home town was nowhere near this part of the country and she had never heard anything of there being an acquaintance between the two.

"Madame must be mistaken; my mother had no relations with anyone in St Pierre."

"Ah but I was born just outside of Hesdin." Mme Dagaulle said with such a sweet malicious voice that Katharine had to work very hard to keep her composure.

"My mother never said a word of being connected in any way to the great Dagaulle family; you must have not made much of an impression on her for her to forget you so terribly." Katharine interjected.

"Oh silly girl Dagaulle is not my maiden name, whatever have they been teaching you? For you have very little sense. Those books that you always have your head stuck in, certainly have done you very little good." Mme Dagaulle smiled as sweetly as a beast with a mouth full of sharp teeth could, while adding a little milk into her tea cup and daintily raising it to her mouth before it started to disappear through her taught little mouth. With a certain precision she clacked the cup back down on its saucer, before raising her eyes innocently up to Katharine's.

"Well I can't help but be a silly young thing at times Madame after all that is simply what I am, however I must confess that I have such a hard time imagining you young, that I couldn't even begin to fathom the idea of you being a Mademoiselle something or other. So you must forgive me for being so careless. Truth be told I know very little about you, other than what I have heard from Mme Dubois." At this Mme Degaulle dropped her sweet pretence and pulled her lip up in its normal disgusting version of a disgruntled expression. "Perhaps Madame may tell me a little about herself before she married into the Degaulle family, for I hear it was a most advantageous marriage." Katharine continued. "We women cannot expect much from our lives without a powerful man to steer us, or so your generation thinks."

"My, you do have quite the extreme opinions of our gender, but never forget Katharine..." and here she leaned in. "That you yourself would be nothing without the promise of such a secure marriage. A pity for Claude though, he could do so well." She nearly snapped

"Perhaps _you_ find that the only thing needed in a marriage is a secure future and money. But I do not want to enter into such a marriage and unfortunately it is my marriage." Katharine slipped up here and she knew it, the moment the words had been said. Mme Degaulle gave a victorious smile, immediately pouncing on the error.

"Do you mean to tell me that you do not want to enter into this marriage? That you do not love Claude? What can this possibly mean, is there someone else?" and here she paused looking positively aghast. "Katharine have you been having an affair with another young man!" The most deadly thing about Mme Degaulle's rumours was that, underneath the layers of lies there lay a nugget of truth that gave just enough reason to the whole thing that anyone could believe it. Katharine could not help but feel chilled to the bone as Mme Degaulle gazed at her. But before Mme Degaulle could say anymore someone cleared their throat. Both Katharine and Mme Degaulle turned to see Lucille standing in the doorway, the house keeper's daughter a little ways behind looking very timid and very scared.

"Dory, why did you not tell me Miss Louis was here?" Mme Degaulle could barely compose herself and her forced smile seemed to drip with venom. Dory shuttered a little before apologizing and fleeing the room.

"My Mme Degaulle what on earth have you done to frighten little Dory so?" Lucille asked politely with just the right amount of humour, while making a show of delicately pulling off her gloves.

"Oh Dory has always been rather skittish, I'm always telling her mother that she should instil some sense into that girl." Mme Degaulle replied curtly.

"I see..." Lucille replied absently, while turning to give Katharine a look she knew all too well. Katharine could not help but be thankful that her sister was there and wonder how much of her conversation with Mme Degaulle she heard. Lucille turned to face Mme Degaulle with a very ladylike smile "I am so sorry Mme Degaulle but I could not help but hear some things when I was waiting in the doorway." At this Mme Degaulle's face lost some colour. "I'm so glad that you were kind enough to congratulate Katharine on her engagement!" Mme Degaulle was truly surprised at this turn of events. Lucille continued on in her bubbly manner. "Ah Dory" she called. Dory appeared from behind the corner immediately, having been there the whole time evidently. "What a good girl you are waiting there just as I asked, see that did not take long." She smiled kindly. "Now be a good girl and go find your mother for me" Turning back to Mme Degaulle her smile grew broader. "I hope you don't mind Mme Degaulle but I have some tea leaves that I promised Madame Rowel, she was such a help to me last year." Mme Rowel walked into the room then with a puzzled look on her face, followed closely by little Dory. "Ah Mrs Rowel, there you are, your mistress was just congratulating Katharine on her luck. Our little Katharine will soon be known as Madame Katharine Noel! I thought it would be best if someone else could join in on the congratulations and listen to Katharine's side of the story and afford our dear Mme Degaulle some understanding on the matter." She spoke lightly but her eyes conveyed a certain meaning to Mrs Rowel.

"Ah how wonderful!" Mrs Rowel exclaimed, having clued in on what Lucille was up to. "Katharine does seem to glow with happiness!" Mrs Rowel smiled fondly. The very Katharine in questioned was at that moment doing anything but glowing in happiness, but was rather openly starring at the two women on her right.

"Yes, I must say she looks very happy. Be a dear won't you and mention that to Madame Lennox when you see her next Mrs Rowel; you know how much she dotes on Katharine." Lucille smiled. Everyone in that room knew perfectly well that Mme Lennox was quite old and probably did not even remember Katharine from the one time that she had met her three years ago and had only mentioned - in her normal foggy state that she now lived in at her then age of seventy-four - in passing that she thought that the brown haired girl was very pleasant. Lucille then turned to Mme Degaulle with a smile so like the one her sister used and positively beamed while she said. "Now Madame Degaulle you mustn't mind what Katharine says, she gets positively embarrassed when the spot light is too much on her and I must say that you embarrassed her something fierce with all your talk of marriage."

"I certainly do not think I did, after all silly little Katharine is already sixteen, she should know enough to mind that tongue of hers—" But here Lucille interrupted Mme Degaulle.

"Ah but you cannot hold Katharine accountable for what she says, for just as you said she is only a silly little girl isn't she Mrs Rowel."

In her steady manner Mrs Rowel gave the do reply. "In my experience most girls are quite silly and unworldly at sixteen."

"Katharine? Do tell Madame Degaulle that you are still quite silly." Lucille arched her eyebrows in the particular way that was to make Katharine understand to follow her lead. Katharine knew perfectly well what Lucille was doing and that it would be best for her to comply with Lucille's wishes and it most certainly was not confusion or ignorance that lengthened the time before Katharine's reply, but rather pride. Katharine finally gave the reply Lucille wanted, all the while looking intently at her sister with rather angry eyes. "Yes I suppose that I am terribly silly. You must forgive me Madame Degaulle, Lucille is right I was simply embarrassed. I am truly... very happy with Claude; he loves me dearly after all." Katharine choked a little on the lie but nothing was to be faulted with what she said.

"There now, we all heard that; Katharine is very happy with the prospects of her engagement. Now it has always been my philosophy that good news should always be shared, wouldn't you agree Mrs Rowel?" Lucille continued happily, completely ignoring Mme Degaulle's near murderous glare.

Mme Rowel followed Lucille's lead in ignoring her mistress, for it must be said that she normally paid her little heed since she had been in the employment of the Degaulle family since before Ms Adalie had even joined the family through marriage and since she was her Dory's age for that matter. "Yes I am of a like minded philosophy, I will be very happy to spread the word to my relations when I next see them and I will be sure to mention it to Madame Dubois as well." Lucille smiled, having accomplished her goal and Mme Degaulle glowered having failed in hers.

"Well I really must be going now, Katharine and I will be wanted at home and I must say it is getting late and we are both without a chaperone." Lucille stated with just the right amount of anxiety and shock at the idea of being caught after dark alone on the street. Without waiting for Mme Degaulle to give any reply she turned to leave the room and Katharine rose to follow her. But before they could escape, Mme Degaulle's menacing voice complete with barely concealed contempt stopped them.

"Your tea, Ms Louis..." Her voice shook slightly with anger.

"Excuse me?"

"Your Tea. The tea that you brought for my housekeeper..."

"Ah Yes how silly of me, seems I have forgotten to bring it, another time perhaps." Lucille replied briskly, smiling all the while. "We should be going now, I'm sure Madame Rowel will not mind the delay. Well goodbye then Madame Degaulle." Lucille lightly brushed off Mme Degaulle with words sweetened with honey and a smile even more so. "Katharine?"

"Yes, my sister is right we must be going, good day Madame." Katharine said politely, rising quickly to join her sister. The two quietly exited the room without a glance to the furious women nearly boiling over behind them. Mrs Rowel followed the two out and gently closed the door behind them just in time to hear what sounded like Mme Degaulle's tea cup smash. Mrs Rowel let out a sigh and lead the two sisters to the front entrance way.

"I am sorry if I have caused you too much trouble Mrs Rowel." Lucille apologized sincerely.

"She was bound to throw a fit sometime today and I will say that it was good to see her feathers fly." Mme Rowel gave her normal broad smile, while whipping her hands on her cream house apron that protected her green work frock. Turning to Katharine her expression grew more serious. "Now Mademoiselle Katharine, you must be more careful from now one, you are lucky that you had your big sister with you mon cheri."

"Oui Madame."

"There now" She smiled kindly.

"Harriet!" Mme Degaulle bellowed.

"I'm sorry ladies but you must show yourselves out this time, my mistress beckons." With that Mme Rowel left the room. But little dory appeared in her place and quietly lead the two out. She had trouble with the heavy front door however and Katharine came to her rescue and tugged open the thick oak slab for her. Lucille wrapped her shawl around herself, after receiving it from Dory and set a foot out the door before pausing and opening her coin bag.

"There now my pet, you have done very well." Lucille said briskly, while setting a coin in Dory's little hand. Just as quickly she turned and started up the lane. Dory gapped at the coin in her hand, her pretty golden brown eyes widening with joy. Dory was well cared for by her mother but she was still a fatherless child that did not have much to speak of. Katharine regarded the sweet shinning eyes and slyly reached into her pocket and placed a candy in Dory's little open palm. Dory immediately looked up, to see Katharine at eye level with her. Katharine gave her an affectionate pat on the cheek and Dory face broke out into a small smile.

"Be a good girl now." Katharine gave her hair a quick ruffle before turning to go after her sister. Lucille was already past the lane way when Katharine caught up with her.

Lucille gave an exasperated sigh and came to a stop, looking up at the sky rather than her sister. "Lucille..." Katharine began. "I... don't know how..."

"You can save your thanks Katharine... Consider all this my apology--."

"Thanks" Katharine said defiantly. Lucille turned quickly and awkwardly to glance over her shoulder at her little sister. The corners of Katharine's mouth turned up briefly as soon as Lucille looked away. "But _I_ still haven't apologized... Lucille I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have... Well shouldn't have said those things."

"It's all water under the bridge now." Lucille said softly, turning back with her smile. Lucille had always had a very boisterous smile; however as of the last few years it never reached her eyes. The smile that Lucille now used only came when she wanted to mask her feelings; it mocked the old one, the happy one, the real one. And all this Katharine knew only too keenly.

"Luc, you are my sister and I love you and I know that right now you don't want to hear it but thank you, for everything..."

"Really now Katharine if you would just mind what comes out of your mouth, we wouldn't be in this fix. Though, if you did I might never hear one of those wonderful apologises again and that would be a tragedy." Here Lucille's face softened a little like it use to. "I wouldn't have seen Mme Degaulle's face in that wonderfully enraged expression either and _that_ would really have been tragic."

Lucille laughed and then sighed, as if to release all bad feelings and the two continued to walk again. "You know Lucille if it weren't for _your_ tongue we wouldn't have gotten out of that fix." Katharine teased slyly.

"Yes but I don't let mine wag at any opportunity. Show some reserve Katharine and you will get what you want."

"Ah yes "reserve" that word does seem to come up an awful lot with you and papa."

Lucille turned and looked at Katharine thoughtfully. "Sometimes I forget but you still are quite young."

"I'm a great deal more mature than you were at my age."

"Not when you give yourself airs, are you. But I am not so unscrupulous as to deny that you do have a bit more sense than I did, mind you only a bit."

"I had you to learn from."

"You would have to be a damn fool to repeat my mistakes after you had seen the consequences." Lucille's face hardened a bit as she said this, but she kept looking straight ahead with dogged determination. Katharine glanced up at her – as she was still an inch or so shorter – and could not help but wonder what Lucille would be like then, if she had married. At that moment the sun illuminated her hair as it came out from behind the trees. Katharine had always admired Lucille's golden red hair and had always been a little envious of how it looked when the sun caught it and it shone a golden colour like the afternoon sun. Lucille at that moment looked stunning with her hair a fire in sun light and the pretty fall fields behind her. Katharine gave a sad smile as she remembered that very same beauty had ruined Lucille and turned ahead to face the sunset.

"I don't think it is possible for me to repeat those mistakes Lucille." Katharine said just as determinedly.

"No. No, I don't think you will either." Lucille looked at the girl by her side and it seemed to her that everyday Katharine grew more and more like their mother. The same dark hair, the same set of eyes and mouth, even the way Katharine held her head mirrored her mother's way of doing it. The only difference was her eye colour; Katharine had not inherited the dark, warm brown eyes of her mother but rather had a mixture of both of her parents in the bright hazel ones that were only hers. "You won't ever make that mistake." Lucille said quietly to herself, as her mind drifted off to the past and a different life.

**Next Chapter, "Lucille's story"**

**Preview: **"Lucille, Lucille wake up." A bell like chime of laughter followed the words and even in her lazy state Lucille could tell that the person was smiling. A loud bang echoed in the background followed by a small chuckle as voices drifted up from downstairs. "Really, does Katharine have to be so loud in the morning?" Lucille thought bitterly in the back of her mind and murmured more quietly. The warm chuckle sounded again, this time right near Lucille's ear. "Time to get up my dear"

Begrudgingly Lucille's eyes opened slowly to be greeted by the warm smile and happy dark brown eyes.

"Ah good morning mother." She smiled in return, stifling a yawn.

**AN: That's right next chapter will be entirely from Lucille's perspective and finally some of the Louis family secrets will be reviled. What really happened four years ago?**

**Well I have to say that even though there is no James and Katharine time in this chapter I like it, after all it give a bit more information about our starring characters... but then there are a lot of conversations and this took a while to write. **


	6. Chapter 5: The Past

**AN: Chapter six! Please read and review, thanks.**

"Lucille, Lucille wake up." A bell like chime of laughter followed the words and even in her lazy state Lucille could tell that the person was smiling. A loud bang echoed in the background followed by a small chuckle as voices drifted up from downstairs. "Really does Katharine have to be so loud in the morning?" Lucille thought bitterly in the back of her mind. The warm chuckle sounded again, this time right near Lucille's ear. "Time to get up my dear"

Begrudgingly Lucille's eyes opened slowly to be greeted by the warm smile and happy dark brown eyes.

"Ah good morning mother." Lucille smiled, stifling a yawn. Another loud bang sounded from downstairs, followed by Mousier Louis' reproof.

"What is she doing and why does she have to be so loud in the morning?" Lucille asked in exasperation, flunking her head down into her pillow.

"I wouldn't mind knowing myself. Your father and she have been up to something all morning." Mme Louis laughed softly.

"For Pete's sake, she almost thirteen, you'd think she would have grown up a bit."

"Lucille, she just turned twelve last month..."

"I can't wait till she's my age and has more sense."

"By the time she's your age you will be married, with a little one of your own."

"Ah marriage, is it strange to be excited for it?"

Mme Lucile gave a small laugh. "I suppose that's all that's on most girls minds; we all have the right to be excited about different things." Her merry eye's lighting up in their impish fashion. "Now, time to get out of bed, your sister has been up over an hour."

"It's not my fault that she's as abnormal as to get up so abominably early, I deserve to sleep in today!" Mme Louis gave an exasperated sigh and her face sobered up a little, but the smile in her eyes did not fade.

"You have had your lay in today Lucille, breakfast is waiting." With that Mme Louis turned to leave the room. "Oh and happy sixteenth birthday sweetheart" she smiled before leaving.

Lucille grinned in satisfaction as her bedroom door closed and with that she lazily stretched out like a cat, perfectly content with the knowledge that the day would be perfect and that life would only get better. Another loud bang sounded from downstairs, forcing Lucille to correct her thoughts, everything would be perfect except... "Katharine!" she yelled.

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When Lucille emerged from upstairs, still in the middle of putting her hair up, the downstairs party had quieted considerably. Whatever mischief Katharine had been up to it was not immediately apparent in the warm and sunny living room. She instead sat with her legs pulled under her and was attempting to crochet something. Mr Louis was sitting in the high backed chair, happily reading a thick volume of his, with Mrs Louis perched on the chair's arm, reading over his shoulder. However it seemed that all of the occupants of the room were not really focusing on their tasks. Mr Louis had been reading the same page for too long, his eyes not moving and Katharine had managed to crocket a huge knot into her work without their mother seeming to mind or notice at all. "Alright what is going on here?" Lucille asked with mock annoyance as she excitedly waited for them to reveal her birthday surprise.

Katharine looked up, her dark eyes filled with innocence. "Nothing Luc"

Lucille gave no reply other than the hoity rising of her eyebrow in a manner that she felt quite became her. Mrs Louis glanced up at her daughter. "Really Cille don't make such a face." To this Lucille replied with another face; one that could really be called disgruntled. "Lucille would you mind running up to see your cousins." Mrs Louis asked nonchalantly.

"But that's almost a mile away! May I remind you that we live in the country, contrary to what I would have wished?"

"A little walk past the moors will do you some good; it is a very fine day. If you like you can invite your cousin Victoria for dinner." Mrs Louis continued, apparently unaffected by Lucille's mood.

"Pass my regards to Uncle Tom, will you please Lucille." Mr Louis added, without looking up.

"But papa, why can't you do it, or Katharine?"

"Your father is busy and I need Katharine's help this morning." With that Mrs Louis calmly brought the conversation to an undisputable end. Lucille knew better than to protest but instead fixed her coif in order to keep the summer sun off her face, before leaving with a bang of the door that verged on being rude. As soon as the door was shut, Katharine flung her crochet away much to the horror of her mother, earning her an immediate reproof. "Katharine!"

"But mama, Lucile is gone there's no time for crochet now!"

"Flying knit work? Is this what you are teaching our daughter, Mrs Louis?" Mr Louis asked the question with enough mock horror as to frighten Katharine but to light up his wife's eyes with amusement. Katharine eye's however widened with fright, before she quickly retrieved her crocheting and dashed to her father's chair and thrust it towards him.

"Oh papa, do not be mad at mama, I won't ever do it again. Really I know better, I do, but today is special and I thought we should start on Lucille's birthday surprise as soon as possible! You can have this when I'm done." Katharine's eyes were so big and imploring that Mr Louis had a hard time keeping his composure and the corners of his mouth keep twitching before he gently took the mess of yarn from his youngest child, before his face brook into a smile.

"No one is really mad at you Kathy." He laughed, however a look from his wife's disgruntled expression corrected him. "But you must behave more lady-like from now on." Katharine made a quick face to this before seeming to swallow her pride and opened her mouth to speak with a fiery expression in her eyes.

"We can discuss my lady-like manner later. We only have so much time before Lucille comes home, _vite vite_ papa." Mrs Louis finally gave up and walked out of the room, leaving Mr Louis to wonder in awe at how much like her mother Katharine was becoming.

--------

Lucile gazed over the foggy moors, the day was nice and even though she was mad at the fact that she had been sent out, it gave her the chance to parade her new skirt and bodice in front of Victoria. She had dressed with care that day and felt very pretty in the light blue and gold embroidered bodice, and blue shirt with her new cream shift. Perhaps the day would not be so bad. Her confidence seemed to inflate as she approached the twin trees that marked the path to her cousin's home.

Tomas Louis was the elder of the two Louis brothers and had as such inherited the families land; he was quite a lot like her father and both she and her cousin had inherited their red hair. Seeing as her father had not inherited the spoils of the brother; Lucille always felt that when she was with Victoria that she had to redeem herself and her father by being the most dignified, pretty, well brought up lady possible. So with that she stepped through the two tall oak trees and started towards the house. With every step that she took, she became more poised and held her head a little higher. When she reached the front steps and awaited the servant opening the door, her determination could not be more complete. But behind the snotty man-servant that opened the door stood Victoria in all her glory. "Ah Lucille" she cooed. "How good of you to come here and save me the trouble of having to walk all the way to wish you happy birthday, mother was insisting that I go." Victoria stood in all her stately manner before Lucille, who suddenly felt quite homely and the country bumpkin. Her cousin was dressed in the latest fashion, straight from London and was wearing her hair loose in red ringlets that made Lucille's locks look like strawberry blonde.

"I'm glad that I could save you the trouble." Lucille said arching her eyebrow again, but even her normal confident gesture was laced with awkwardness and insecurities. Victoria inclined her head back as she looked Lucille over; a sly grin appeared on her face before she turned back in. Lucille followed her, losing a bit of her confidence with each step. Victoria gracefully sat down on the sofa, spreading out her skirt as to show off.

"Pretty isn't it. Anthony brought it back for me from France, Paris in fact." Victoria smiled, her cat like eyes crinkling up at the corners as she rubbed it in Lucille's face.

"Anthony?" Lucille questioned, sorely disappointed that Victoria had a suitor before her.

"Yes Mr Patrick Anthony. He's here would you like to meet him?" she asked in an aloof manner that made Lucille feel quite little. "We have been promised for so long, I don't know why you don't know of him."

"I do not know, papa never mention it, nor did you." Victoria gave no reply to Lucille but instead summand a servant.

"Will you please show Mr Anthony into the room?"

"Yes Miss Victoria."

Lucille fidgeted a little while Victoria looked everywhere but at her. To Victoria, at her grown up age of nine-teen on the verge of marriage, Lucille was nothing more to her than an annoyance and something that occasionally stroked her ego. It must be admitted that though Lucille competed fiercely with Victoria, it was her admiration of the later that spurred that on. So though Lucille wanted to outdo Victoria in everything, she was more hurt then anything that her ensemble had gone unnoticed, or rather that Victoria didn't even care enough to comment on it.

That relationship between the two was strange in that way; they were not bosom friends or kindred spirits but more like estranged sisters that never had been really close to begin with. Since the Louis Brothers did not live too far away from each other and despite the discrepancies in their inheritance; the two had remand close and their children knew each other well. When Lucille had been born she had always been sent over to her cousin's house, due to her mother's ailing health after her birth. Lucille had revelled in being an only child, however she did at the time crave a sister, a big sister and Victoria at three years her senior had fulfilled that role. But for the prideful Victoria, Lucille had simply been a chore for her to put up with; something inferior that she allowed due to her father's clannish behaviour. Since Victoria's cousins were simply the ministers' family, bound to the cloth and its poverty, while _her_ father was a gentleman and would never need to work, she would always be superior.

Though Lucille did not still crave Vitoria's attentions as she had as a small child, she could not break herself of her habit of wanting Victoria to acknowledge her. In some ways Lucille clung to the past, before Katharine had been born, to when she didn't have to be the responsible big sister and a role model. The age gap between Lucille and Katharine was four years, a particularly large one between children in those days. It was not caused from a lack of trying; there had been several miscarriages and a stillborn. But Mrs Louis adored children and had always wanted many happy babies to fill her home, Mr Louis had likewise wanted children and though he could not be happier with his two girls he wanted and needed a male heir to give a secure life to his family. What they had and any fortune they posed would pass through the girls' hands to the nearest male kin, in order to protect the family a boy was needed. But chances of that boy had slimmed greatly after Katharine was born, since Mrs Louis was warned not to attempt children anymore due to how difficult the pregnancy had been. This had also forced more responsibility onto Lucille, since as the oldest she would have to marry well and be able to support her mother and sister, through her husband. She especially felt the pressure now that she was sixteen and was hitting the prime of her marital eligibility.

Being married at eight-teen had become the outside limit and though Victoria was already nine-teen, her nuptials had already been decided at sixteen. Lucille had been pondering all this when Mr Anthony had entered the room. So much so that she had not noticed him until he addressed her, his deep voice finally drawing her attention. "Miss Lucille." Lucille looked up in time to see the man's head rise from a bow and as he did his eyes meet hers and she was struck by their steel grey depths. He flashed his bright smile at her, which left Lucille speechless. "It is Lucille right?"

This time Lucile awoke from her trance. "Yes it is Lucille, you must be Mr Anthony." She smiled coyly. All this had completely escaped Victoria's attention, not because she was unobservant but because she did not even consider Lucille a threat. But for Mr Anthony, Lucile's expression had not gone un-noticed and the more he stared at her, the more the faint blush on her face pleased him. "Lucille? That's French is it not?"

"Yes, my mother is French, so both my sister and I have English and French names." Lucille said nervously.

"How interesting, and what is your English name?" Mr Anthony's expression was such that it made Lucille quite giddy. Though she was inexperienced, she could tell he was flirting with her and his handsome face quickened her pulse.

Lucille laughed nervously. "Victoria could better tell you than I."

"Good heavens, what could that possibly mean?" Mr Anthony asked, turning to Victoria. Victoria, who never liked this subject being brought up, simply brushed it aside. But before the conversation could pick up again a servant came to tell Victoria that her presence was needed by her mother. With that Victoria stood to leave the room.

"Please excuse me, I won't be long. Be a dear and entertain my little cousin, won't you Anthony?"

"It would be my pleasure." Victoria nodded to this and glided out of the room leaving the two alone. Mr Anthony took a seat across from Lucille, where Victoria had been seated and gave her another dashing smile. "So Miss Lucille, do you live far from here?"

"No Mr Anthony --"

"Anthony please, we are all friends here."

Lucille blushed. "Anthony. Uh... as I was saying I live up the road, past the moor."

"Don't tell me you live in that charming little manor, on the east side of the road. Yes that must be it that is the nearest home till Thrucross."

"Yes the very one" Lucille gave a bright smile to this, that Mr Anthony quite liked.

"Well it suits you, the home I mean. Both of you are truly charming. But I never would have guessed since when I went by, I met a little girl who was the daughter of the home and though I presume now her to be your younger sister, the two of you do not look alike, her coloring was darker." Mr Anthony smiled, all the while looking at Lucille in such a manner as to make her girlish heart beat faster. "Not fair at all like yours."

"Yes we don't look much alike, she takes after our mother." Lucille blushed, unused to the advances of such handsome and dignified men as Mr Anthony.

"She's pretty, but I prefer girls with blue eyes such as yours." He said slyly.

"Mr An... Anthony, you shouldn't say such things, your bride to be, my dear cousin Victoria has brown eyes!" Lucille almost cried shocked at how forward he was.

"Ah but mustn't we always be truthful?"

"Yes but still..." Lucille had not looked at him when she said this, but when she looked up, he was starring at her with an odd expression. He did not smile when her eye's meet his but rather ran a hand through his chestnut coloured hair. Lucille blushed and looked down again. The awkward silence that ensued afterwards was only interrupted when Victoria returned.

'I'm sorry that took so long my dear." She said absently, while fleeting to her fiancé's side.

"I was heartbroken in your absence, as I always am away from you." Mr Anthony's playful jest, caused a soft, lady-like giggle to escape Victoria's lips, before she begrudgingly turned back to Lucille. "Mother and father send their good wishes to your parents and would love to give you their blessings in person, before they leave."

"If you would Victoria, could you call a servant to show me to Uncle Tom's study?"

"Ah Victoria dearest, we could simply show her." Mr Anthony laughed.

"Don't be silly Patrick, Lucille doesn't mind. Do you Lucille?" Victoria asked quickly; keen to get her off her hands.

"You needn't worry I should be getting home anyways. Papa, Mama and Katharine will want to celebrate my birthday."

"It's your Birthday!" Mr Anthony exclaimed. "Victoria, surely we can show her more hospitality."

"Surely we have done enough." Victoria huffed. Mr Anthony pursed his lips.

"Come Miss Lucille." He smiled. "I will accompany you out." To be honest, the prospect of being walked out by Mr Anthony pleased Lucille greatly, and she was more than happy to rise and leave the room beside him. Victoria made a bit of a face to this, but did not say anything, it was just Lucille anyways. Mr Anthony gave a graceful bow at the door before Lucille turned to leave.

"Miss Lucille." He called. She turned back hopeful and was caught by surprise at how close he was to her. "Do be good and come and see me again."

Lucille turned very red at this, which Mr Anthony only laughed at as he turned away, thinking all the while how fun it would be with that girl around.

------

When Lucille opened her front door, she was greeted with the happy feelings of home and her little sister, who at that moment she did not particularly mind that much, since her thoughts were full of Mr Anthony. But the ever excited Katharine soon captured her attention again, before leading her to the kitchen. Where spread out on the wooden table were Lucille's favourite desserts. "Do you like it Lucille? I made a great deal of then."

"They all smell very good, even if it is your cooking." Lucille beamed, giving the particular boisterous smile that Katharine loved.

"Papa helped cook if you can believe it." Katharine smile, but her expression had a little something wrong with it and even Lucille noticed.

"What's wrong, I said I liked them."

Katharine looked up, a little embarrassed. "Nothing's wrong." But Lucille's unconvinced look loosened he tongue. "Fine... I don't want you to get married soon."

"What do you mean that you don't want me to get married?!" Lucille cried, her temper heating up a little, did her sister not want her to be happy?

"Don't take it that way!" Katharine cried indigent that she had been so misunderstood. "I just don't want you to leave home right away."

Lucille thought about this for a moment. "Well you don't need to worry about that anytime soon I suppose." After all Mr Anthony is already engaged to Victoria, she added bitterly. Katharine smiled to this, secretly thinking of how much she wished for things to remain exactly how they were.

"Lucille, Katharine." Mrs Louis called, from the other room.

"Coming" Katharine called, immediately sprinting out of the room. Lucille watched her go before turning to look around her childhood home and out the window to the purple English moors. Everything was as it had been for the last sixteen years. The faded wood, the east facing window and sunny rooms, even the bouquets of lavender and white blossoms of Dogwood that Mme Louis always kept all over the house. Everything had the same homey feel to it and was seeped with childhood memories. But Lucille had reached the age where she wanted more than just her childhood home and at that moment as she watched her little sister – who was so desperate for things to remain the same – leave, she could not help but wish for some change to come and allow her to grow up.

The same bittersweet feeling coloured the rest of the day, as the Louis family celebrated the last birthday they would likely share with their eldest daughter while she was at home. Spring would end soon and all knew that with the change in seasons and through the course of the year that the happy period called childhood would come to an end.

Over the next two months life continued normally for most, with the romantic tension between Lucille and Patrick mounting, unbeknownst to everyone; however they had yet to reach the point of true physical adultery. The days grew longer and fuller and on one of these warm summer nights Katharine came to her mother with a proposal. "Mama... I was wondering..."

"You were wondering?" Mrs Louis looked up as she spoke, gently tucking a curl of hair behind her ear and in the process leaving a streak of flour on her cheek. Katharine smiled shyly and rolled up her sleeves to help with the baking.

"I was wondering if..." Katharine continued.

Mrs Louis gave a slightly exasperated sigh. "If...."

"I was wondering if I could go with Claire's family to Lancaster."

"Lancaster!" Mrs Louis exclaimed, pausing in what she was doing, before returning to it with a vengeance.

"Oh mama, please! It's only a few weeks; we would go with her aunt and uncle on their way to the coast."

"I don't know Katharine; you aren't quiet old enough to make such a journey."

"But mama I'm old enough to do so many unpleasant things, why can't I be old enough to do something fun, opposed to chores all the time."

Mrs. Louis gave the dough that she was kneeing a great whack as she threw it down on the wooden board she was working on. "I don't know Katharine; I was twice your age the first time I'd gone as far as Lancaster, besides there isn't much to do on the coast. Wouldn't you have more fun in Bath?"

"Mama you were seven-teen when you went on that trip, I'm twelve now…"

Mrs Louis stopped in what she was doing and turned to face Katharine. "Twelve. Twelve yes… I knew it but yet I did not. When did my sweet little babe grow to be such a big girl?"

"Big enough to go to the coast?" Katharine asked excitedly, her tone strongly hinting at what she desired.

"Or grow a tongue that knew how to talk back to her mother?" Mrs. Louis added sarcastically. "_Ma petite cherie_, you have grown yes, but you are still very young. Allow me my precious reaming years of mothering, all too soon you will be grown up." Katharine relented for the time after looking at her mother's caring eyes, the little hollow circles under them giving her cause to worry, after all as she got older so too did her mother.

Not long after Lucile returned from an afternoon supposedly spent at her chum Margret's house. She had in fact been off in the glen with Mr Anthony, the fact that the two had been alone unsupervised quickened her pulse with adrenaline.

"Lucille, do you have a fever, your face is flushed." Mrs. Louis fussed, when Lucille entered the kitchen.

"She probably is beginning to get a sun burn." Mr. Louis teased.

"No she's blushing…." Katharine noted peering up into her older sister's face.

"Hush Katharine" Lucille exclaimed. "Mama, papa I'm a little tried, I think I'll go to bed now"

Mme Louis made a bit of a face to this. "Lucille is there something that you want to talk about. You seem to never be in the house these days, out first light and back well into the evenings."

This caught Lucille a little off guard and as such she was a bit too enthusiastic in her denial. "No, no everything is fine. Goodnight mother." Lucille quickly left and ran upstairs before anyone else could stop and question her. Both Mr. and Mrs. Louis simply stared at each other in the empty and awkward silence that was left in Lucille's wake.

"Well then…" Mr. Louis sighed. As of late he had been feeling a certain disconnection with his eldest daughter; the girls it seemed to him grew increasingly distant and perplexing as they grew older and though he loved them both, he knew his wife was better with them and as such generally let Mrs Louis deal with them. He gruffly cleared his throat before lazily exiting the room when he saw the conspiring look between Katharine and Mrs Louis.

"Mama, do you think that perhaps…" Katharine started. "Lucille has been struck by some kind of moonlight madness." Her eyes were big and a hint of a smile danced in them, with a sarcastic grin cast upon her mouth. A stifled laugh that was disguised as a cough came from the living room, followed by some grunting as Mr Louis tried to sober up. Mrs Louis on the other hand simply rolled her eyes a bit and gave Katharine's braid a playful tug.

Within the course of the week Katharine's relentless pleading had forced her mother to concede defeat. The promise trip was thus planned for the fallowing fortnight. Katharine was naturally exceedingly pleased, but Lucille felt some small trepidation towards the idea; with Katharine gone her frequent absences would be even more noticeable. Just the other day, Mr. Anthony, or rather Patrick as she called him now, had swept her off her feet with a small sonnet composed especially for her; the subject naturally being Lucille herself and she felt that such wonderful secret moments might be in danger of coming to an end. So the night before Katharine was set to leave and while the whole household was preoccupied with preparing her and her things for the long journey ahead, Mr. Anthony secreted a note to Lucille telling her to meet him in the glen at sunset. Lucille, who normally did not risk meeting with Mr. Anthony towards nightfall, did not hesitate this time as she normally would but sent him a speedy reply telling him she would be there. She easily slipped out at the allotted time, with everyone distracted and could not help but feel mounting excitement as she neared the little Glen on the edge of the Moore.

Anthony was already there when she arrived and he seemed quite debonair and mature in his shirttails and the plainer clothing that he wore that night. Lucille's cheeks flushed as she speculated the reason for his lax appearance. "Patrick" she called softly. Mr. Anthony looked up quickly at the sound of her voice and gave her his normal enchanting smile. He had enjoyed his small run with her so far and was quite pleased with the result of his game of charming the young girl. But her smiles and blushes were tiring on him and he wished to have one last foray before he finally settled in with Victoria.

"Ah Lucille, you are finally here. I could not bear to wait another minuet."

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting?"

"Not at all, I was just thinking of how this scenery reminded me of you; all gold and red in the sunlight." Mr. Anthony smiled while he closed the gap between himself and Lucille. Lucille did not move, but merely gazed up at him, a full foot higher than her. "My dear Lucille…"

"Anthony, you do not know how much I've missed you, it seems you are the only one who really knows and notices me these days. Did you have a hard time -- getting away tonight?"

"You mean did Victoria notice anything? Well no she didn't and what do I care if she does, it is an arranged marriage after all." Mr. Anthony said the lie so smoothly that Lucille, as she always had, was completely taken in by it. It would not do for him to alert the girl of the harsh realities that men never give up the wife for the mistress.

After mentioning Victoria and once again being assured that there was no love in Mr. Anthony's coming nuptials, Lucille once again put her conscious and her cousin out of her mind and simply enjoyed Mr. Anthony's face and sweet words. If they married, it would only hurt Victoria to have a husband that did not love her; Lucille was doing her a favor really. He gave her another dashing smile before pulling her close to him. Lucille stiffened a little in response but did not try to get out of his grasp. "You look like a divine goddess of the Glen." He whispered in her ear, while gently pulling out the pin that held her hair up. "Take it down..." he murmured. Lucille heart hammered in her chest as she complied with his request and allowed her hair to cascade over her shoulders and around her face. Mr. Anthony smiled wickedly as he stared down at the blushing girl before him; her hair afire in the setting sun and her checks colored pale rose with her blush. Embarrassed Lucille looked down and closed her eyes. Mr. Anthony's hands and lips where on her face immediately, shocking Lucille as she tried to free herself from his grasp. The shock of being kissed for the first time was plainly written on her face and Mr. Anthony noted in slight aggravation that he would have to be a little more patient with her if he were to get what he wanted.

"There's no reason to look so shocked Lucille, it's only a kiss."

"I think I better go…" Lucille muttered, backing away. She had imagined him kissing her many times but for it to actually happen was something else entirely and the full reality of what she was risking became too much to bare. She could afford to be ruined and as much as he had assured her that he loved her, she would do not more with him, unless he purposed.

"Now don't go spoiling the evening Lucille…"

Lucille's stubborn side came out then and she quickly turned and began backing away, put-off by Anthony's sudden change in attitude and behavior. "I said I should go and I shall. Goodbye Mr. Anthony." With that she turned and ran out of the Glen, she heard Mr. Anthony's heavy steps behind her and suddenly felt a twinge of panic.

"Lucille, wait!" He called as he neared her.

"No" She shouted firmly over her shoulder. She could hear him directly behind her then and before she could escape he grabbed her arm.

"I said wait" he snarled

"Patrick let me go. I want to go home."

"No" His grip tightened on her arm with his objection.

"Let me go this minuet, you are scaring me." Mr. Anthony came to his senses then and allowed his anger to subside and released her.

"I'm so sorry… Please forgive me. I only didn't want to let you go, I never want to let you go for that matter."

Lucille's anger and panic was softened by the look in his eyes, and smiled nervously over the misunderstanding. "Well then, I'll send you a note after Katharine is gone. Goodbye then Anthony." Before Mr. Anthony could say anything more, Lucille was quickly walking away from him across the moor. With her back towards him she could not see the vile expression he wore on his face.

Lucille was little company when she had returned home, no one had noticed her absence, which aggravated her, she did not like to be ignored and Katharine had been the centre of attention lately. She simply kept up her sullen attitude all through dinner and continued to feel as though Patrick Anthony was the only person who really noticed her. The rest of the family said nothing about Lucille`s mood and Mr Louis automatically assumed that she was upset over her sister's impending absence and remained blissfully ignorant. The awkward dinner was soon over and Lucille escaped upstairs to her bedroom without a word. Mrs Louis had watched her go without saying anything, but the mounting suspicion that her daughter was in trouble would not go away.

"Lucille, is there anything you want to talk about?" Mrs Louis questioned early the next day.

Lucille, curled up in a high back chair shifted uncomfortably under her mother's watchful gaze, and instead stared intently at the open book in her lap. "Not particularly mama."

Her Mother sat done quietly on the adjacent furniture. "Cille, dear, if you are in any trouble or if something is bothering you, you know the right thing to do is talk to me about it." Lucille smiled shyly at this, even though she wanted to talk to her mother, the topic matter completely rolled that out of the equation.

"Really there is nothing wrong mama." Mrs Louis narrowed her eyes at the blatant lie.

"I know you would never do something that you know to be unethical or wrong or more importantly something you can't even talk to your mother about." Mrs Louis Spoke firmly as she always did when she had something important to say. "I know I raised you better than that, so if it's really nothing, we won't speak of this again."

Lucille looked up straight into her mother's dark brown eyes and said as sweetly as she could. "Everything is fine mother." She did not choke on the lie, she seemed to be doing so much of that as of late that it no longer nagged at her conscious as it used to. Mrs Louis rose reluctantly and left off on the subject.

Starring awkwardly at her mother's back Lucille posed a question. "Mama" She began. "If you don't mind --"

"Mama!" Katharine interrupted suddenly, more falling then running towards Mrs Louis. "Mama, I can't find my green bodice!"

"It's in your room Katharine" Was Mrs Louis' exasperated reply.

"Oh but I can't find it and Claire will be here any minuet." Katharine starred up at her mother in a state of utter devastation. Her Melodramatics did nothing for Lucille, who simply rolled her eyes at her little sister, but Mrs Louis could not leave her child in such a panicked state and immediately began helping her youngest with the final travel preparations.

"Katharine grows less responsible and more childlike, opposed to older" Was Lucille's indignant thought and reaction to the whole bodice fiasco. Her sister seemed to inadvertently and intentionally irk her more and more as she got older. "She'll be spoiled rotten, perpetually childlike and silly by the time she's my age if she continues one like this." Lucille muttered. Lucille had always known since she was about seven, that her usually taciturn father held a soft spot for her sister but she had always counted on her mother to be the grand equalizer in the matter and to know that she would always be loved more as the eldest. Lucille's pretentious and bias opinion seemed to hold less merit as she got older though.

A shriek from Katharine floated down from upstairs and Lucille thought nothing of it till Katharine came bounding down the stairs and dashed to her side. "Oh Luc, mama has promised me her necklace as a reward as long as I am well behaved on the trip!" Lucille had been so distracted with Mr. Anthony that she had not noticed all the little things that Katharine had been improving in and trying to do the last month and could not keep the thought of favouritism from her mind.

"which necklace?" Lucille asked without glancing up from her book.

"The Locket, she got from _grand-mère_, when she got engaged to papa!" Katharine answered excitedly. "Oh how I've always loved that one Lucille."

This development got Lucille's attention, she had always admire that necklace and assumed it would be hers upon her engagement. A reminder that she was neither engaged nor would she likely became so soon, fouled her mood and she glared at her sister in return. Katharine has missed the glare since at that moment Claire and her family had arrived with the coach, leaving Lucille to her depressing thoughts about marriage and the unattainable Mr. Patrick Anthony.

Goodbyes were said, but before Katharine set off, she fleeted to her sister's side and quickly threw her arms around Lucille before promising to bring her back something special. Lucille's irritation and anger at her sister softened with the action and she gave her little sister's hand an affectionate squeeze before she left. Katharine was annoying, impudent, stubborn and childlike but Lucille could not stay mad at her when she was sweet.

The little manor was strangely quiet with Katharine's absence, but the more reserved and mature air was a pleasant surprise for Mr. Louis and he found himself conversing more naturally with Lucile on a regular basis and liked the increase in communication. Lucille's mood and confidence mended and improved in the attentive environment; so much so that she allowed herself to admit and address the real source of insecurities and anxiety, Mr. Anthony. She knew that she had been out of sorts due to her conscience and frustrations involving the man and finally after a few weeks she resolved to talk to him again. She would make him decided on a definite action and put an end to all the questions of his intention; this time she would not allow herself to be distracted and infatuated by him. A note was presently sent and a reply received the following day. They would meet in the Glen like always.

Lucille did not fuss as much about her appearance as she normally did when meeting Mr. Anthony, but that did not stop her from setting her hair nicely –her intention after all being to have a firm answer from him that day and nothing else, but she never looked poorly. She did not arrive early either, having firmly decided to not be docile this time. Mr. Anthony was waiting for her but not as leisurely as before, it had taken Lucille over three weeks to send him a note; one which lacked the usual romance and gibberish that normally filled Lucille's letters. He was slightly worried that Lucille might want to end their folly, but her opening statement told him otherwise.

"Patrick Anthony, are you or are you not going to ask me to marry you." Lucille demanded standing before him in a stately manner. She lost a little confidence upon seeing her opponents shocked face. "What I mean is what exactly... are your intentions?" Lucille finished lamely before renewing her purpose and starring directly up into Mr. Anthony's face. It struck her for the first time as she gazed up at the impassable face, how much older Mr. Anthony was; over five years her senior.

"You can't… be serious" Was Mr. Anthony's delayed reply. He had not expected this turn of events, the flinty girl he had taken to wooing was now demanding something as impossible as marriage. His surprise got the better of him before he could recover properly.

Lucille stiffened at the blatant shock and dismissal. "Why ever not" She fumed. "You have been courting me these last few months, you are unhappy with your engagement…"

"That's right I am engaged!" Replied Mr. Anthony, dumbfounded and exasperated.

"Then what were you doing with me this whole time? You told me that you did not want to marry Victoria!"

Mr. Anthony could only stutter while, he tried to find a way out of the impossible situation. "Come now, we haven't seen each other in weeks, are those your first words to me?" His attempt to distract Lucille was ill-founded and ineffective, but it did succeed in momentarily faulting her heart beat, as his smiles normally did. Anthony's brilliant smile faded when he noted its lack of effect on Lucille and the twinkle in his grey eyes faded with it.

"Anthony… tell me, why we have done all this, if you do not see fit to marry me." Lucille prompted quietly but determined.

"What have we done then hmm…" Mr. Anthony's temper mounted as he stared at the determined figure opposite him. "Nothing, that's what…" he sieved, Lucille flinched a little at this. "We have done absolutely nothing and you demand marriage, how absurd."

"Nothing… that's what this is, nothing to you?" Breathed Lucille, too shocked to create much volume.

"What sort of timidity is this then" He mocked. "Did you not just a minute ago demand my proposal?"

"And apparently I was grievously mistaken in doing so…" The words were spoken forcefully through clenched teeth and her hands shook in galled fists at her sides.

"Yes you were!" Anthony almost roared, to mad to retain composure.

"All right then!" Lucille replied with the same amount of ferocity. "That is it then, Good-bye."

"Now Lucille wait…"

"I said Goodbye!" Lucille shouted fiercely over her shoulder. The goodbye ended any further interaction. As Lucille's figure retreated through the gloom and fog of the moor, Mr. Anthony cursed loudly and proceeded to kick and crush a nearby fallen log, spewing profanity all the while. Frustration fuelled his last use of an unmentionable word. Over two months wasted, with no reward or conciliation for that matter.

------------

Lucille's misery did not go un-noticed by her mother over the course of the following weeks. "Lucille, ma petite fille, what ails you so?"

"Nothing, mother"

"Nothing, would not create that face" Mrs Louis stated matter-of-factly.

Lucille could not hold back her emotions and disappointments any longer. "Ah mama, I don't think I am ever to be married." Lucille exclaimed, choking back tears. Mrs Louis was about to make light of the matter – after all Lucille had only just turned sixteen- but the devastated, watery blue eyes before her stopped that notion.

"Yes you will, but perhaps right now some tea is need." Lucille stared up with watery eyes as her mother briskly set off to prepare water, humming all the time.

"Mama--"

"Tea fixes almost everything along with a good cry my dear." Mrs Louis called. "And perhaps a change of scenery…" she mused. Already her mind was working and plans were mapping themselves out in her head. Maybe Lucille might spend a few weeks with her cousins on their small trip. A change of scenery and pace might help appease her worries and calm her nerves. She would send her husband over tomorrow to speak with his brother about the matter.

With his wife decided on that course of action, Mr. Louis was presently sent to call on his brother the next day. Mr. Louis on his part had not been able to put up much of a defence against his wife's wishes, he had conceded as always to her big imploring brown eyes and playful hints at her weariness – something he had been acutely aware off since she took till after childbirth. It was a hot mucky day and Mr. Louis felt the summer heat on the country road as he attempted to guide the stubborn old mare who had thrown a shoe several paces back. Without means to fix the shoe, and the obstinate horse refusing to be ridden Mr Louis was forced to walk to his brother's estate.

"Brother!" Tomas Louis called boisterously, striding through the parlour of his home with outstretched arms to great his younger brother, who had just been ushered in by a servant. "What has caused you to come on such an inhospitable day, your brow seems drenched with the effort to ride here."

"The old mare threw a shoe, I am not so old Tomas as to become exhausted from a quick jaunty out and about." Mr. Louis joked

"Course not, little brother. If you are old I should not like to know what I am. After all we both have grown children now."

"Yes, how is little Victoria?"

"Not so little anymore I am afraid, she's to be married. Capital fellow the boy."

"More capital than your boy Tommy?"

"No one is better then, my own son you can be sure."

"A father's bias I can be sure."

"Come now, can you name in your opinion a girl brighter than your Katharine, or prettier than your Lucille – Your opinion mind you, no one tops my Victoria."

"No Tom I cannot." Mr. Louis smiled. "Which brings me to my purpose of paying a visit, the Mrs. feels that our Lucille needs a change of pace."

"A change in Pace?"

"Yes, she has been out of sorts lately. Some feminine problem I expect."

"Well we would be happy to help. Lucille is welcomed to stay for a few weeks… I expect Victoria could use the company. It will all work out capitally."

"Yes… Capital"

"Now about your horse, let's see if we cannot give that invalid animal a new shoe and lease on life."

* * *

The sound of pacing became a constant background noise in the manor over the next few days as Lucille restlessly crossed her room again and again. The room felt strangely large without Katharine and the silence was making her nervous. She had not been able to excuse herself from going to stay with Victoria and her only small bit of consolation was that, Mr Anthony might not be there; but that would not stop the pain she would receive from looking upon his betroths face, the only thing she could do was reconcile herself to a week of embarrassment and resentment.

She arrived at her cousin's in a dishevelled array of luggage and travellers cloak and could think of nothing to do but sit right down on her trunk and stare at the chaos around her in lost confusion. Finally the old matron bustled up to her and shooed her into the guest room. The old lady offered up a slew of mindless jibber as she settled the young girl into her quarters. Miss Lucille she noted bore a fair resemblance to her own mistress miss Victoria, though the colouring and shape of the face was off and certainly the meekness before her was not present in her proud mistress. Lucille's hair was more golden than red compared to Victoria's and her eyes lacked the feline curve but retained a soft almond shape. Most noticeable was the difference in demeanour and stark contras in eye colour. A soft knock sounded on the door as Victoria's head appeared in the doorframe. "Hello, little cousin." She cooed as she sauntered into the room. Her hair was twisted into a messy braid and Lucille could not help gazing longingly at it and feel a stab of pain and jealousy towards her. Lucille gazed up towards the face that she had once emulated so much but now could only resent and hate. How could Victoria get to selfishly keep Patrick, when it would only cause him pain; she probably did not even love him.

"Lucille?" Victoria called. Lucille compiled and glanced up at her face, trying to keep the anger induced blush from showing and the flash in her eyes from being too apparent. Victoria shifted uncomfortably, she had never been good with children and when her mother had told her to look after her cousin; she had been at a loss. Even though Patrick had often teased her that she would be a hopeless mother with his future sons, it gave her no confidence. She blushed at the memory before sitting gingerly down at the end of Lucille's bed and looking closely at her. "Well... this is a change isn't it?" She stated awkwardly. "Mother tells me that, you were feeling... ill – and that I should... Ah... take care of you." Victoria's dark brown eyes softened a little with the statement, but she remained stiff as she looked at the emotionless girl in front of her.

"Both, my mother and... I... hope that you might view me as an older... sister and that I might be of some help to you..." Glancing at the hard look on Lucille's face Victoria pursed her lips. "Alright then, I'll talk to you in the morning..." She gave Lucille's hand an awkward pat before leaving.

Lucille remained the same over the next few days, she would not allow Victoria to become close to her; to see her cousin in anything other than a damning way, brought her pain and guilt and she stubbornly preferred to convince herself that she was the victim in this situation. She could not however escape the presence of Mr Anthony for long however as he came by the home later in the week. Lucille was seated on the couch with her back to the door when Victoria's sudden movements caught her attention. Her cousin had jumped up from her seat by the pianoforte and ran to her fiancés' side – who had just entered the room – with a look of utter adoration pronounced on her face as she ran into his waiting embrace. Lucille cringed as she heard his voice and saw in her peripheral vision, him starring at her as he hugged Victoria.

"Oh Patrick how I missed you... Why did you leave so suddenly?"

"Business my dear, urgent business at my father's estate" Anthony replied. His gaze settled on Lucille again, drawing Victoria's attention.

"Ah, that right, you probably haven't been told. Lucille is saying with us for a few weeks, she's become somewhat ill as of late and father and mother thought she might recuperate here."

"Ah, your cousin right dear?"

"Yes." Victoria replied quickly. "Well then... Let me go tell father that you are here." She smiled gently at Anthony before hurrying out of the room. Lucille heard the door close as she pretended to be absorbed in her book. Anthony cleared his throat and waited for the sound of Victoria's foot steps to recede before he spoke.

"Well..."

Lucille said nothing, aggravating the other.

"Come now we must talk, I know you've missed me."

Lucille said nothing and turned a page of her book instead. Mr Anthony finally took it from her hands.

"Look at me." He ordered. Lucille did not. He grabbed her chin and angled it up to him, leaning over the couch to peer down into her face. "I am a tortured man Lucille, and it is you who inflicts it upon me. I cannot forget about you..." Lucille again said nothing but her heart betrayed her as it speed up at his words. The approaching sound of voices and people was the only thing that could drive Anthony away, as he briskly crossed the room before the new party entered.

"Ah Anthony my boy" Sir Louis laughed "How good of you to return at last."

"Sir Tomas." Anthony welcomed. Greetings were exchanged and Anthony was passed around from family member to family member, with Victoria at his side. Lucille stood awkwardly off to one side and watched the proceedings with distress, though her face remained unemotional. The party swept off towards the dining room, for a celebratory dinner for the newly arrived guest, with Lucille following meekly behind. Lucille spoke only when spoken to and behaved cordially throughout the dinner but she was certainly not her normal self, though no one took any notice of the change in behaviour. Once the ordeal was over she quickly excused herself to her room, but not before Mr Anthony got a hold of her. Quickly under the disguise of making some polite inquiry, he slipped a note into Lucille's hand. She was about to cast it away, before she thought the better of it and instead escaped Victoria and Anthony's giggles as she slipped up stairs, note in hand.

Once in the safety of her bedroom she quickly fastened the door and carefully unfolded the slip of paper. Mr Anthony's elegant scrip filled the whole page.

_My dear Lucille,_

_Your absence tortures me. My heart beats only for you and each time I catch so much as a glimpse of I remember all too vividly our time together. This cannot go on, surely you feel it too? I once again assure you of my distaste to this marriage with your cousin. You yourself are well aware of her faults and temper. I can no longer reside myself to a loveless union. That day at the glen, you must forgive me; I spoke not of my heart but rather of my duty, but what I care of duty with you and my happiness within my grasp. I was a fool and a coward, too caught up in my frustration to see what was before him. You saw the solution before I, and had the courage to speak of it before I did. Marry me. Run with me. We will be happy together and start a new life. Though I have only a little to offer, I offer it all to you. If you still feel for me, meet me at the Glen prepared to go tonight at nine o'clock. I will have a horse prepared and wait for your arrival. Do come my beloved; I will wait all night if I must..._

_Yours forever_

_Patrick Anthony_

Lucille shook as she reread the note, it was all she ever wanted and her heart swelled with happiness. The clock struck eight thirty and broke her trance. She did not ponder the note any longer but threw herself into packing and preparing for the journey. She did not allow the guilt of what she was doing to wash over her but delighted in the thought of becoming Mrs Lucille Patrick Anthony. Whatever shame she might bring her family was not present in her mind and Victoria's loving face gazing at Anthony was not either. "I deserve this" Lucille thought decidedly as she stuffed the remaining things into her small bag and drew her dark cloak around her.

------

A single rider on a dark horse sped through the night, urging the beast foreword with great haste as rider and horse crossed by the moor. The darken countryside flashed by as his cloak flared out behind him, his hat in danger of flying off. His destination appeared in front of him as the warm lights of the little manor became visible. He urged the horse on in a burst of speed and immediately jumped of the animal at the door and began pounding with urgency on it. Noise was heard within as the occupants stirred. The Rider once again hammered on the door, not ceasing until it opened to Mr Louis red with anger face.

"What on earth is--"

"Mr Louis, my name is Charles Wentworth, I have been charged with the duty of informing you of your youngest daughter's illness."

"What--"

"Dear, who is it at the door?" Mrs Louis called, appearing in a gown over her sleeping attire while carrying a lighted candle.

"Madame, I regret to inform you that your daughter has taken gravely ill." Mr Wentworth continued.

"What can you mean? Who? Which of our daughters?"

"I think he means Katharine." Mr Louis managed to say, his face a startling white. He clutched onto Mrs Louis as she gave a twisted moan of pain and almost fell to the floor.

"My baby, my baby!" was all that she could say as she leaned onto her husband for support and cried.

"There is not much time, it is imperative that you come. The child was too sick to be moved and I have been charged with bringing you back to Lancaster immediately." Mr Wentworth continued.

"One horse is almost invalid and the other not enough to pull the carriage." Mr Louis gasped, trying to regain his senses. Mrs Louis managed to stagger indoors, all the while calling for their lone servant with such servility that the woman practically threw herself down the stairs in her haste.

"You may take mine; he is young and capable of the journey." Mr Wentworth replied.

"Our... our other daughter, she is at her uncle's." Mrs Louis stammered. Mr Louis having regained some composure set about with the business at hand.

"Mr Wentworth, take our mare and ride to the estate of Sir Louis and give this note to my brother. He will know what to do." Mr Louis finished scribbling the letter and handed it to the young man.

"Madame" Nodding, Mr Wentworth tipped his cap to Mr and Mrs Louis before departing to the stables. Arrangements were made in haste and both parties departed to their designations within minutes, Mr Wentworth to Sir Louis' estate on the mare and Mr and Mrs Louis to Lancaster.

**AN: Here's the chapter, it took longer than expected but it will be continued with part two in the next chapter. The following chapter will contain the story of Mrs Louis' death and again be written mostly from Lucille's perspective. It was too long to make one chapter sorry. Anyways review please. Just a little bit of a warning though, next chapter will probably be out after school is finished for the year. **


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